DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Casualties

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice his Department provides for service personnel in respect of the preparations of their wills prior to operational duties overseas.

Andrew Robathan: At least three months prior to a deployment all service personnel are briefed by their Chain of Command on the benefits of having a will, as well as a Lasting Power of Attorney. This powerful legal document gives another person or persons the power to make decisions with regard to service person's financial affairs and/or their health and personal welfare. These can be drawn up privately, in advance of a deployment, and can be revoked at any time.
	Service personnel are advised that wills can be drawn up privately or by use of a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Will Form (Form 106). Complete MOD Will Forms can be stored at the Wills Library in Glasgow at no cost to the individual.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of armed forces personnel and their dependants who will be affected as a result of changes to public sector pensions uprating; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 16 May 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 570, to the right hon. Member for Delyn (Mr Hanson).

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people aged under 21 in each year group were recruited to each of the armed services in each month since the date of the Strategic Defence and Security Review; and for how long on average the people in each group have signed up to serve.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   2010   2011   
			 Service and age group October November December January February March April 
			 Naval Service        
			 16 4 7 3 5 2 1 3 
			 17 17 27 1 16 5 7 3 
			 18 28 53 9 18 4 7 3 
			 19 20 43 8 23 9 6 0 
			 20 19 42 11 23 6 2 3 
			         
			 Army        
			 16 116 71 0 175 0 85 58 
			 17 115 33 0 139 35 94 91 
			 18 136 112 0 102 95 93 86 
			 19 123 99 0 90 83 98 85 
			 20 110 97 0 85 77 85 81 
			         
			 RAF        
			 16 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 17 I 6 3 5 1 5 3 
			 18 14 3 0 7 7 13 11 
			 19 11 10 0 14 6 13 14 
			 20 14 12 0 17 3 9 7 
		
	
	While in all three services personnel sign up to a specific engagement or commission, they are permitted to resign from their service before the end of this period provided they have completed a minimum return of service. In the Naval Service the initial commitment for Royal Navy Ratings is 18 years, Royal Marine Other Ranks is four years and Royal Navy Officers is 12 years. In the Army, Other Ranks enter an engagement of 12 years and Officers are given three years service from the date of commissioning with the option to extend once they receive a positive annual report. In the RAF, Airmen sign for an engagement of nine years and RAF Officers sign a permanent commission of 18 years reckonable service or until they reach the age of 40. The commitments above are general and may differ depending upon which trade or specialty is joined.

Chinook Helicopters

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the (a) first and (b) last Chinook HC.6 helicopter to be delivered into service.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence is currently in discussion with Boeing in preparation for the main investment decision point for the 12 new and two replacement Chinooks announced as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
	However, the main investment decision has not yet been made and the delivery schedule will not be set until the contract is signed. We will announce any significant procurement decisions to Parliament in the usual way.

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to cease to fund any of its functions over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

Liam Fox: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) set out the functions and capabilities that will be needed to meet future challenges and achieve success on operations in line with the National Security Strategy while also dealing with the deficit in the Defence budget. The spending review set out the resources allocated to Defence to implement the SDSR. This resulted in reductions in a combination of older or non-essential capabilities, such as the Harrier GR9, Nimrod MRA4 and certain frigates, to focus resources on the highest priority capabilities and functions core to the adaptable force posture set out in the SDSR.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the unit cost of a UK (a) air to surface missile, (b) air to air missile, (c) ship to surface missile and (d) ship to air missile of the type deployed by UK forces in Libya.

Peter Luff: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House, but I refer him to the answer I gave on 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 569W, to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Tom Blenkinsop) in respect of Storm Shadow.
	Substantive answer from Peter Luff to Gordon Banks:
	UK forces have not fired air-to-air or surface-to-air missiles as part of Operation ELLAMY. The gross book values of each of the air-to-surface missiles fired by our forces from the start of recent operations over Libya up to 24 April 2011 are: Storm Shadow £790,000 and Dual Mode Seeker (DMS) Brimstone £175,000. Our stock of Brimstone was procured from 2004 as single mode missiles and subsequently enhanced to dual mode, under a separate contract, from 2008. Equivalent values for each of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) Block III and TLAM Block IV surface-to-surface missiles fired over the same period are £1,100,000 and £870,000 respectively. All of the figures are inclusive of VAT.
	In addition, as I said in the answer I gave on 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 569W to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Tom Blenkinsop), the value of Storm Shadow missiles, contracted for in 1997, includes the cost of producing an integrated weapon system and not just the purchase cost of the missile. The same is also true of Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone.
	Enhanced Paveway II and Paveway IV guided bombs have also been released over Libya, but I am withholding their current gross book values as this information is commercially sensitive and its disclosure would prejudice the commercial interests of the contractor.
	Finally, the Ministry of Defence now takes a portfolio approach to procuring new Complex Weapons. This approach was launched in April 2010 and will secure significant efficiencies across the breadth of the Complex Weapons portfolio over the next 10 years and beyond, and is designed to meet the UK's military requirements and safeguard our sovereign capability.
	I am placing a copy of this letter in the library of the House.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in the middle east.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 16 May 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), on 16 May 2011, Official Report, column 9, to the hon. Member for Central Devon (Mel Stride).

Military Aircraft: Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost per hour of using the (a) Harrier, (b) GR4 Tornado and (c) Apache in close air support operations was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: holding answer 12 May 2011
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) gave on 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 75W.

Nuclear Power Stations: Security

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of capability of terrorist organisations to mount an attack on a UK nuclear power plant; and what arrangements are in place to prevent such an attack.

Charles Hendry: I have been asked to reply.
	The level of threat posed from a terrorist attack to UK civil nuclear sites is taken very seriously and is regularly assessed by relevant Government organisations, including the industry's security regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
	While it is not Government policy to comment on the detail of operational security matters at individual civil nuclear sites, security arrangements are kept under constant review as part of a continuous process to ensure that existing arrangements are robust and effective.

Nuclear Submarines

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has made to his French counterpart on the future joint development of ship submersible ballistic nuclear fleets.

Peter Luff: We have, with our French colleagues, identified a number of potential areas for cooperation around submarine enterprise management and some specific equipments and technologies. Detailed proposals will be put to national authorities for consideration and agreement, taking account of extant international agreements and obligations.

USA: Military Bases

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has provided funding for any development on US military bases in Great Britain in the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The US authorities are responsible for bearing the cost of any development, unless that development is a requirement of UK legislation or Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy and there is no equivalent United States legal or policy requirement, in which case the costs fall to the UK MOD.
	In the last five years the MOD has provided some £1.4 million in funding for such development.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Legal Opinion

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the amount received in fines paid as a result of legal action arising from the work by her Department’s legal team in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 13 May 2011
	The amount of fines paid as a result of legal action arising from the work by the Department’s legal team in each of the last four years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2007-08 116,645 
			 2008-09 28,300 
			 2009-10 49,055 
			 2010-11 72,825 
		
	
	The information for 2006-07 is not readily available and the cost to obtain the information would be disproportionate.

Departmental Legal Opinion

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential effects of the closure of her Department's legal team on the Department's work on (a) pollution control, (b) animal welfare, (c) forestry, (d) nature conservation and (e) animal disease emergencies.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 13 May 2011
	The Department has no plans to close its legal team, but it is currently considering options for its future structure. No detrimental effect on any of the work areas listed is anticipated as a result of those proposals, should they go ahead.

Departmental Work Experience

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice her Department provides to those wishing to (a) work as an intern, (b) undertake a work experience placement and (c) work as a volunteer in her Department.

Richard Benyon: All interns who join the Department now need to come via the Cabinet Office Summer Internship Schemes.
	Advice to those wishing to undertake either interim, work experience or volunteer work directs them, therefore towards the Cabinet Office Whitehall Internship programmes.

Flood Control

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of (a) homes, (b) business premises and (c) individuals resident in areas which would have been protected by flood defence schemes which have now been (i) cancelled and (ii) postponed;
	(2)  what flood defence schemes in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area have been (i) cancelled and (ii) postponed as a result of reductions in spending on flood defence.

Richard Benyon: No flood defence schemes have been cancelled and any scheme not progressing this year will be subject to reforms to the way funding is allocated to flood and coastal defence projects. We recently consulted on these reforms and I will make an announcement in due course.
	We still expect to be able to deliver better protection to at least 145,000 households by March 2015.

Flood Control

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effects of its planned reductions in flood defence spending on (a) insurance premium costs, (b) insurance excess payments for home and business owners and (c) the civil engineering supply chain.

Richard Benyon: The working groups that were established after last year's flood summit are establishing a roadmap beyond 2013, when the current Statement of Principles ends.
	The Environment Agency is working with the civil engineering supply chain to provide greater certainty over future work and opportunities for greater efficiencies. It is also reviewing its future procurement strategy with the Major Projects Authority.
	We recently consulted on reforms to the way in which capital funding is allocated to flood and coastal erosion risk management projects, to encourage total investment to increase beyond levels that are affordable to central Government alone.

Floods: House Insurance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on provision of flooding cover as a standard element of property insurance following the end of the Statement of Principles.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working closely with HM Treasury and the insurance industry to ensure that insurance remains widely available in England after the Statement of Principles ends. Three working groups, including representatives from the Government, the Environment Agency, the insurance industry and other organisations, were established after last year's Flood Summit. One of these groups is looking at a range of potential flood insurance models that will be outlined in an interim report to be published soon.

Floods: House Insurance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) the Association of British Insurers, (b) the British Insurance Brokers Association and (c) insurers on levels of flooding insurance premium costs for property owners who have been affected by flooding.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working closely with the Association of British Insurers, the British Insurance Brokers Association and individual insurers through the three working groups that were established after last year's Flood summit.
	There is general agreement in these discussions that insurance policies should reflect flood risk, including resilience and damage-limitation efforts by property owners.

Floods: House Insurance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with the Association of British Insurers on flood insurance from 2013.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working closely with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to put in place a roadmap beyond 2013, when the current Statement of Principles ends. The ABI is an active member of the three working groups that were established after last year's Flood summit, which are taking forward the dialogue on flood insurance and risk reduction.

Floods: House Insurance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department had made of the number of domestic properties in England at significant risk of flooding which do not have flood insurance.

Richard Benyon: No estimate has been made of the number of properties at significant risk of flooding that do not have flood insurance cover. Insurers' decisions about providing cover in flood risk areas are guided by the Statement of Principles and are commercially confidential. In addition, some householders may not wish to obtain flood insurance cover.

Floods: House Insurance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010, Official Report, columns 604-5, on flood control: finance, what progress she has made in ensuring the continued provision of flood insurance for properties at significant risk of flooding when the Statement of Principles agreement expires in 2013.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA hosted a flood summit in September 2010 to discuss flood risk management and the challenges involved in flood insurance. Three working groups are now continuing the dialogue on flood insurance and risk reduction and putting in place a road map beyond 2013, when the current Statement of Principles ends. The working groups reported on progress, in March 2011 in an interim report that will be published soon.

Inland Waterways

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on maintaining waterways in the last five years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA provides grant in aid funding to its two main navigation authorities for the maintenance of inland waterways in England and Wales. Funding for the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 British Waterways(1) 55.5 61.6 57.4 51.3 41.5 
			 Environment Agency: Navigation 13.3 14 13 11.5 6.25 
			 Environment Agency: Flood risk management 102 128 131 162 152 
			 (1) Excludes payments made to BW in respect of its national loan fund payments 
		
	
	DEFRA also provides grant in aid funding to the Broads Authority for pursuing their statutory purposes. Additional funding has been included in the national park grant allocation for the Broads Authority to enable progress to be made in implementing its sediment management strategy. The funding in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 was £500,000 per annum. In 2009-10 and 2010-11, this funding was reduced to £400,000 per annum. The total over the five-year period is therefore £2.3 million.
	Any additional expenditure incurred by the authority on maintaining the waterways has been funded by tolls.

Inland Waterways

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had on the maintenance of British waterways in the last five years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA routinely undertakes discussions with British Waterways (BW) on the maintenance of its waterways for navigation at quarterly shareholder meetings, the most recent of which took place in February 2011. The maintenance of BW’s waterways is also considered through the process of agreeing its annual corporate plan.
	Discussions with the Environment Agency on the maintenance of its waterways for navigation and for flood risk management also take place as part of the corporate planning process and strategic reviews.
	Discussions also take place with the Broads Authority on its priorities at regular meetings.

Official Visits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what visits she has undertaken in an official capacity since 1 January 2011.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 16 May 2011
	Since 1 January 2011 the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has visited the Oxford Farming Conference; a meeting of international environment and agriculture Ministers at Berlin Green Week; the NFU Annual Conference in Birmingham; Derby to attend the regional cabinet; the Lake District National Park and Newton Rigg to launch the Uplands Policy Review; Brussels to attend Environment Council; Budapest to attend Informal Environment Council; the sustainable development aspects at the Olympic Site in London; Brazil for dialogues with her ministerial counterparts; and the construction site for the redevelopment of Blackfriars station.

Recycling: Incentives

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will assess the effects on waste minimisation of introducing cash incentives for recycling;
	(2)  if she will assess the potential effects of introducing recycling incentive schemes such as that in Windsor and Maidenhead on meeting the Government’s obligations under the revised waste framework directive.

Richard Benyon: The Government welcome the efforts of all councils who encourage people to do the right thing with their waste, including reducing the amount of waste produced and recycling more. We believe that rewarding or recognising people for what they do is a good way to encourage behaviour change; the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman) and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), commended the Recyclebank model at Windsor and Maidenhead last year. Schemes like this can help us to meet our revised waste framework directive obligations to reuse or recycle 50% of waste from households by 2020. It will of course be important to understand the impact of reward schemes, in order to help development of future policy. In the Waste Review, we are looking at how to share lessons from innovative ways of rewarding recycling and reuse. We will also be developing a Waste Prevention Programme for England, as required by the revised waste framework directive.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to protect seascapes from adverse effects arising from human activities in the marine environment.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 16 May 2011
	The Marine Policy Statement (MPS) provides the framework for the development of marine plans and for decision making, and its adoption in March 2011 was the first stage in rolling out the statutory marine planning systems across UK marine area.
	The MPS defines seascapes as
	‘landscapes with views of coasts or seas, and coasts with adjacent marine environment with cultural, historical and archaeological links with each other'.
	It requires that marine plan authorities take into account the character, quality and how highly valued the seascape is when considering the impact of activities or development in the marine environment.
	The Marine Management Organisation have been delegated the responsibility for preparing marine plans in England and have begun developing the first two plans in the east inshore and offshore areas.

Thames Estuary

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its agencies have spent on managing the Thames estuary in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: I assume my hon. Friend is referring to costs associated with protecting the Thames estuary from flooding. The Environment Agency maintains the Thames tidal defences along the north and south banks of the Thames estuary. This is from Teddington to the Isle of Grain and Southend-on-Sea. Please see the following breakdown of capital and revenue costs by year and geographical area:
	
		
			 Financial year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Thames tidal defences (including the Thames barrier) from Teddington to Dartford barrier 16,834,028.00 19,144,856.00 18,243,716.00 26,363,211.71 22,358,106.00 
			 Thames tidal defences from Dartford barrier to Southend-on-Sea (including work at Tilbury and Canvey Island) 3,820,200.00 995,900.00 1,909,700.00 2,377,000.00 2,165,400.00 
			 Thames tidal defences between Dartford Creek barrier and Grain 497,100.00 413,100.00 820,100.00 4,040,100.00 3,274,100.00 
			 Total 21,151,328.00 20,553,856.00 20,973,516.00 32,780,311.00 27,797,606.00

Voluntary Work

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department are participating in volunteering activities as part of her Department's involvement in the big society initiative.

Richard Benyon: As part of usual departmental business, all Ministers engage with social enterprise organisations and charities and undertake activities which support the big society initiative.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: Offices

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso), representing the House of Commons Commission, when the decision was taken that adjustments or equipment for the offices of hon. Members recommended by medical professionals would not be met from the budget of the House Service; who took this decision; and what consultation was carried out prior to taking the decision.

John Thurso: The note ‘Accommodation standards for Members and their staff located at Westminster’, endorsed by the Administration Committee on 8 May 2007, sets out the accommodation and equipment provision available to Members from the Department of Facilities. It specifically envisages meeting special medical requirements for desks and chairs but not for other items.
	When the standards were written the House had responsibility for disability assistance for Members and individual aids could be claimed under the House's expenses scheme either under general office expenses or (potentially) under the disability provision. Responsibility for administering Members allowances has been transferred to IPSA. Provision of funding for individual aids falls within the scope of this responsibility.
	I understand that officials have written to the hon. Member with further information on this issue.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to cease to fund any of its functions over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport continues to promote and support its core functions and values, as confirmed in our business plan, and will reduce its administrative costs by 50% over the spending review period. The Department is also in the process of streamlining its arm's length bodies to facilitate continued delivery of quality culture, media and sport in this country whilst at the same time making efficiency savings. The Secretary of State's press release of the 14 October 2010 provides further details and can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/media_releases/7485.aspx
	After completion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in October 2012, the Department will continue to focus on delivery of the Olympic legacy.

Rugby: World Cup

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to announce details of the financing for the Rugby League World Cup; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: I am in discussions with the Rugby Football League as to how Government can support a successful event of which the country can be proud. As part of this, arrangements will be made to ensure the £1 million of support to be provided by the North West Development Agency to the cost of staging the 2013 Rugby League World cup is paid in full.

Telecommunications: Hearing Impairment

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what definition his Department uses of functional equivalence in relation to relay services for deaf people.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not look to determine “functional equivalence” in relation to relay services for deaf people. The requirement for equivalence in access to electronic communications is a broad concept and not tied to any particular service.
	Further, determination of equivalence in relation to relay matters for deaf people will be a matter for the regulator, Ofcom, under new provisions of the revised EU Electronic Communication Framework. These revisions require member states to ensure that access to, and affordability of, electronic communications services for disabled end-users is equivalent to the level enjoyed by other end-users. Implementation of the revised Framework needs to be completed by 25 May 2011.
	Implementation of new Article 23a in the universal service directive will enable Ofcom to specify, where appropriate, requirements to ensure that disabled end-users:
	(a) have access to electronic communications services equivalent to that enjoyed by the majority of end-users; and
	(b) benefit from the choice of undertakings and services available to the majority of end-users.
	In that respect, Ofcom is currently undertaking a review of relay service provision, the objective of which is to assess whether current arrangements for the provision of relay services are adequate in delivering equivalence to voice telephony for hearing and speech impaired end-users (including British sign language users). Ofcom expects to publish a consultation document within the next few weeks and a research report which helps inform the review was published on 4 February and can be read at:
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/telecoms-research/ofcom-relay-services/
	However, any decision on relay services will have to be made following a process of review, consultation, cost benefit analysis and a proportionality test.
	In addition, Ofcom contributed to the consultation and report published by the Body of European Regulators (BEREC) in February 2011 on “Electronic communications services: Ensuring equivalence in access and choice for disabled end-users” which helps further clarify the distinction between functional equivalence and equivalence of experience.

Telecommunications: Hearing Impairment

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has made an assessment of (a) the possible conversion speed and (b) functional equivalence of (i) text relay services, (ii) video relay services and (iii) standard speech.

Edward Vaizey: The Department has not undertaken any assessment of the possible conversation speeds of, or functional equivalence of, text relay services, video relay services and standard speech.
	Ofcom is currently undertaking a review of relay services. The review’s objective is to assess whether the current arrangements for the provision of relay services are adequate in delivering equivalence to voice telephony for hearing- and speech-impaired end-users and, if they are not, to consider proportionate solutions. This involves looking at, among other things, the existing text relay service and additional relay services including video relay and captioned telephony.
	In June 2009 Ofcom published a report commissioned from independent consultants which gave the following approximate conversation speeds:
	
		
			  W  ords per minute 
			 Normal conversation c. 170 
			 Text relay c. 30 
			 Captioned telephony c. 150 
			 Video relay c. 150

EDUCATION

Adoption

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to encourage adoption.

Tim Loughton: This Government expect the adoption system to work effectively for all looked-after children who would benefit from this permanent option and all local authorities to perform at the level of the best. I believe that adoption has lost some momentum in recent years. That is why I have started a programme of adoption reform. I have already published revised statutory adoption guidance, written to directors of children’s services and lead members setting out my expectations and set up the Ministerial Advisory Group on Adoption to steer the overall programme. At its next meeting, the group will discuss adoption breakdown and how to help ensure that adoptive families are appropriately supported.
	I recently published an adoption data pack to support local authorities in delivering improved adoption outcomes and to help them compare their outcomes with those other local authorities. The Department is also funding two important voluntary sector projects to help improve adoption practices and is supporting the British Association for Adoption and Fostering in promoting adoption through national adoption week.
	The Government’s review of the family justice system and the final report of Professor Munro’s review of child protection, published on 10 May, will lead to wider system improvements that will benefit those children in need of adoption.

CAFCASS: Qualifications

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what level of qualification the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service requires for those staff it employs to assess cases.

Tim Loughton: CAFCASS practitioners are required to have a Diploma in Social Work, or an equivalent recognised by the General Social Care Council. They are also required to have a minimum of three years post-qualifying experience in social work with children and families at risk.

Confederation of British Industry

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many meetings he has had with representatives of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss education and skills policy since his appointment.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has not had any meetings with representatives of the Confederation of British Industry since his appointment but is meeting John Cridland, CBI Director General, in early June.

Departmental Data Protection

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many contracts his Department holds which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; to which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each such contract are held; and how many people have their data stored overseas under each such contract.

Tim Loughton: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Legal Costs

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and its predecessors paid in (a) damages, (b) claimant costs and (c) defendant costs in respect of all civil claims brought against it in which the claimant was successful or the Department settled in each of the last three years.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has concluded that the costs involved in retrieving the information required to respond to this parliamentary question will greatly exceed the disproportionate costs threshold which governs PQs.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the name is of each contractor or supplier of (a) mobile telephone and (b) mobile data services to his Department.

Tim Loughton: The Department currently receives (a) mobile telephone and (b) mobile data services from one supplier and the supplier is Vodafone Ltd.

Departmental Travel

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many first class rail journeys were undertaken by staff in his Department between April 2010 and April 2011; and what the total cost was of such journeys.

Tim Loughton: Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011 staff within the Department for Education made 2,094 first class rail journeys costing £265,028.46. However, 70.6% (1,479) of the recorded first class rail journeys were made between 1 April and 30 June 2010. The recorded number of first class rail journeys between 1 January 2011 and 31 March 2011 was 110 (5.2%). First class rail costs have fallen by almost 90% in 2010-11 compared with the previous year (£2,464,222 in 2009-10).
	This information is a summary of transactions through the Department’s Business Travel booking agent, Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The number of journeys includes both one-way and return travel as the transaction record does not distinguish between the two types of journey. The number of journeys is understated slightly as a very few carnet tickets were procured, allowing multiple journeys from the purchase of a single ticket.
	There are clear policy principles guiding this issue and staff are expected to travel standard class except for a very few special circumstances including access to facilities to accommodate disabilities or if it can be demonstrated that a first class ticket is lower cost than standard class. The Secretary of State for Education and other Ministers have a policy of travelling in standard class.

Education: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish the results of the review of March 2011 performance data of Torbay council’s children's services following the improvement notice.

Tim Loughton: Torbay council was issued with an improvement notice on 31 January 2011, following an Ofsted inspection of safeguarding and looked-after children’s services in October 2010 which found safeguarding services to be inadequate. The improvement notice indicates that
	“a review will be carried out on receipt of performance information relating to March 2011”.
	A formal meeting will be held between officials from the Department and the council in July 2011 to review progress, using that information and other evidence that will have become available between April and June 2011. That review will be used to inform Ministers of progress and to consider next steps. Subsequent action, including making the outcome of the review available, will be considered at that point.

Foster Care

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on the number of young people who have been in foster care who have completed an undergraduate course in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: Information on the number of young people who have been in foster care who have completed an undergraduate course is not collected centrally.

Schools Sports

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what date he expects to announce allocation of funding for the school sport partnership for Crawley constituency.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has announced that he will not continue to provide ring-fenced funding for school sport partnerships beyond 31 August 2011.
	Instead, the Secretary of State is making available £65 million of new funding for schools to enable them to provide more opportunities for competitive sport. This funding will cover the school years 2011/12 and 2012/13 and will pay for one day a week of a secondary PE teacher's time to be spent out of the classroom, encouraging greater take-up of competitive sport in primary schools and securing a fixture network for schools to increase the amount of intra- and inter-school sporting competition. This will include schools in the Crawley constituency.
	Further details about this funding will be sent to schools later this term. The first tranche of funding is likely to be passed to secondary schools in September 2011.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Overseas Aid

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of financial aid in respect of infrastructure projects in (a) Sierra Leone, (b) Niger, (c) Mozambique and (d) Liberia was directed to local contractors in each of the last two years; how many indigenous companies were contracted to carry out construction work for which his Department allocated funding; how much such funding his Department allocated to infrastructure projects in each of the last two years; and what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) description was of each such project.

Andrew Mitchell: Of the countries listed, the Department for International Development (DFID) has invested in infrastructure projects in Sierra Leone and Mozambique. Information on these projects including the purpose, budget and actual spend has been made available in the Library of the House. Further detail on contractors and companies used, including their national origin cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. Value for money is DFID's fundamental criterion when contracting others.

Departmental Consultants

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) name and (b) country of origin is of each consultant engaged by his Department in (i) Sierra Leone, (ii) Liberia, (iii) Mali, (iv) Niger and (v) Mozambique in each year since 2004; and what the (A) monetary value of each contract and (B) nature of activity of each such consultant was.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) follows strict publicly available criteria to guide its use of consultants, and is committed to transparency. However, providing the detail of information requested over the period since 2004 would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Government have committed to publish all new central Government tenders and contracts over £10,000 from January 2011 on the cross Government portal:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/?site=1000&lang=en
	All contracts issued centrally by DFID are currently being published on this website, subject to exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act relating to, for example, commercially sensitive, or security related disclosures. DFID is also in the process of developing systems to allow contracts issued by our overseas offices for programme work to be published.

Departmental Data Protection

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department holds which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; to which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each such contract are held; and how many people have their data stored overseas under each such contract.

Alan Duncan: In comparison with many other Government Departments, particularly those engaged in delivery of citizen-facing public services in the UK, the Department for International Development (DFID) holds relatively little personal data. Most of the personal data which DFID do hold relate to current and former members of staff and to recipients of pensions paid to former employees of British colonial Governments. Most personal data held by DFID for these functions are stored in the UK or in country offices by DFID itself and in accordance with the Department's organisational data protection policy. Some data relating to staff are transferred on a case by case basis according to business need to third party suppliers, some of whom may be based outside the UK (for example, to make airline reservations or arrange shipments of personal freight to country offices).
	DFID has one contract with a supplier for the processing of pension payments to former employees of British colonial Governments overseas. The supplier's payment service is located in the Republic of Ireland. Payments are made in this way to approximately 3,500 recipients. A majority of the recipients of such pensions are likely to be British citizens.

Departmental Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what in-country work-based placements his Department's offices have provided to (a) undergraduates, (b) graduates and (c) government officials from (i) Sierra Leone, (ii) Liberia, (iii) Mali, (iv) Niger and (v) Mozambique in each year since 2004.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development has not undertaken in-country work-based placements for undergraduates, graduates, or government officials, in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Niger, or Mozambique, during the period specified.
	DFID does employ around 750 locally engaged staff in its network of overseas offices—around 32% of DFID's total staff complement, but it is worth noting that the department does not have offices in Mali, Niger or Liberia. Most of these staff are nationals of the countries in which they work. Increasing numbers of our locally engaged staff are employed in professional advisory or senior administrative roles that are open to graduates or those who have previous experience of working with partner governments or other public sector institutions.

Developing Countries: Education

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what performance indicators his Department plans to use to measure its progress in supporting girls in completing nine years of basic education by the end of 2014.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) will track completion of a full cycle of primary education as a key indicator in each of our partner countries where we have education programmes.

Developing Countries: Education

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that education of girls is a departmental priority.

Andrew Mitchell: The Government are placing girls and women at the centre of our aid programme. All Department for International Development (DFID) education programmes will have a focus on girls and young women. We are working with existing and new development partners to combine general support to education systems with targeted interventions to address girls’ drop-out rates and support their transition to lower secondary schooling.
	Following a comprehensive review of all UK aid programmes, the Government plan to support at least nine million children in primary school, over half of whom will be girls, and two million children in secondary school by 2014.

Developing Countries: Education

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many girls does the Department plan to support to complete the nine years of basic education by the end of 2014.

Andrew Mitchell: Following a comprehensive review of all UK aid programmes, the Government plan to support at least nine million children in primary school, over half of whom will be girls, and two million children in secondary school by 2014.

Guyana: Climate Change

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department plans to provide to Guyana to counter the effects of climate change in 2011-12.

Alan Duncan: Guyana is part of the Department for International Development (DFID)'s Caribbean regional programme, including support to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
	Guyana also benefits from multilateral and international programmes to which the UK contributes. The European Union, for example, supports sea defence strengthening, mangrove planting and management in Guyana to help counter the effects of sea level rise and storm surges, while the Climate Development and Knowledge Network provides advice and technical assistance on policy and investment decisions to improve resilience to climate change. In 2011-12, Guyana will also benefit from our support to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation. An economic review of the impacts of climate change on Guyana's agriculture, coastal and human settlements and health is also under way with DFID assistance.

Guyana: Floods

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department plans to provide to Guyana in respect of recent floods.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is not planning to offer any assistance to Guyana for its recovery from the floods of February and March this year. The Government of Guyana have not requested any international assistance to supplement their recovery efforts in affected areas.
	We are in regular contact with Guyana's Civil Defence Commission, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Guyana Red Cross regarding the effects of flooding in Guyana. As with other Caribbean countries, we will continue to monitor the effects of natural disasters and respond appropriately when necessary.

Guyana: Overseas Aid

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department plans to provide to Guyana for (a) education, (b) health care, (c) governance and (d) environmental protection in 2011-12.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has a regional programme in the Caribbean focusing on governance and security, wealth creation, climate change and disaster risk reduction. Guyana benefits from this programme directly, as well as through regional bodies. Our regional programme does not include support to education or health. Until December 2011, Guyana will benefit from our support to the United Nations Development Programme's Enhancing Public Trust, Security and Inclusion programme which includes work to strengthen governance by empowering communities to press for better services and greater accountability from Government.
	On environmental protection, Guyana will continue to benefit from our regional climate change support programme, as well as the programmes of multilateral bodies (such as the World Bank and European Union) to which the UK makes a significant contribution and which support a range of areas including forest and mangrove protection. In previous years, the UK helped fund the development and implementation of Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy, which includes forest protection. Norway is now supporting Guyana in this field, so no additional UK bilateral support is anticipated this year.

North Korea: Overseas Aid

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) food aid and (b) other aid his Department gave to North Korea in the last period for which figures are available; and how much aid has been given to North Korea in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: In 2009-10, the Department for International Development (DFID) provided £2.8 million in humanitarian aid for North Korea through our core contribution to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This contribution was not earmarked for specific purposes.
	In 2007-08, DFID gave £649,422 in humanitarian assistance to North Korea, £500,000 of which was food aid for 215,000 people affected by floods.
	DFID did not provide aid to North Korea in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2008-09.

Pakistan: Education

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what arrangements are in place to ensure that funding from his Department for education in Pakistan is not used to support the teaching of hate in schools.

Andrew Mitchell: Pakistan is facing an education emergency; in response the UK Government will get four million more children into school by 2015. To help ensure that UK aid is not being used to support the teaching of hate in Pakistani schools, the Department for International Development (DFID) is working with the Pakistani authorities to support a curriculum audit and a textbooks development process to ensure all textbooks promote peace and co-existence; improve teachers’ recruitment and training processes; and strengthen the education system so that poor children have access to mainstream schooling.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department provides for those living in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) provides support to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon through the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UK is the second largest bilateral donor to UNRWA. Our five-year arrangement with UNRWA provides unearmarked funding to its general budget, allowing UNRWA to plan for the long-term and improve service delivery to refugees across the region, We provided £27 million in 2010-11. Approximately 12% of UNRWA's general budget spending is in Lebanon.
	In 2010-11, a further £1.5 million was provided to UNRWA specifically to help prevent further deterioration in the basic living standards of 5,670 families displaced from Nahr el Bared camp in Lebanon. This funding paid the rental subsidies for 3,436 families for two months (January and February 2011), and hospitalisation and medical cover for 1,172 families (for December 2010).
	In addition, the Conflict Pool, which is jointly owned and managed by DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, provided £250,000 in 2010-11 for projects to strengthen dialogue between the Lebanese Government and Palestinian representatives; to support Palestinian refugee civil society groups to improve governance in refugee camps; and to reduce conflict both within camps and between Lebanese and Palestinian communities.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/65/272 on the strengthening of the management capacity of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Alan Duncan: The UK voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/65/272, in line with our support for management reform in UNRWA and in recognition of UNRWA’s critical financial situation.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

Alan Duncan: UNWRA faces a projected deficit of $63 million in its general budget for 2011. We are concerned that the deficit will undermine the provision of education, health and social services to refugees.
	UNRWA, donors and host countries need to work together to put UNRWA's finances on a sustainable basis. We call on all countries to honour their funding commitments to UNWRA. The UK is the second largest bilateral donor to UNWRA, having provided £27 million to the general budget in 2010-11.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the support to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon announced in February 2011 was allocated to rebuilding the Nahr el Bared refugee camp in Northern Lebanon; and how much of the allocated funding has been spent.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) announced £1.5 million of additional support to UNRWA in February 2011, all of which was allocated to preventing further deterioration in the basic living standards of 5,670 families displaced from Nahr el Bared. This funding paid the rental subsidies for 3,436 families for two months (January and February 2011), and hospitalisation and medical cover for 1,172 families (for December 2010); none of the funding was allocated for rebuilding work.
	The UK has a five-year arrangement with UNRWA to provide unearmarked funding to its general budget which allows UNRWA to plan for the long-term and improve service delivery to refugees. In 2010-11 the UK gave £27 million to UNRWA. Approximately 12% of UNRWA's general budget spending is in Lebanon.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon; and what effect their situation has on the assistance they require from the UK (a) directly and (b) through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Alan Duncan: The most recent assessment of the humanitarian situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is the report by UNRWA, ‘Socio-economic survey of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon’, published in December 2010. UNRWA has said that it needs £350 million ($568 million) for 2011 to be able to carry out its work in the region, of which approximately £42 million ($68 million) will be spent in Lebanon. An additional £11 million ($18.51 million) will be needed for the rebuilding of Nahr el Bared camp and to support families to return their homes.
	The UK is the second largest bilateral donor to UNRWA. We provided £27 million in unearmarked funding to UNRWA's general budget in 2010-11. In addition we provided £1.5 million last year specifically to support families displaced from Nahr el Bared camp in Lebanon. Approximately 12% of UNRWA's general budget is spent in Lebanon.
	In addition, the Conflict Pool, which is jointly owned and managed by DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, provided £250,000 in 2010-11 for projects to strengthen dialogue between the Lebanese Government and Palestinian representatives; to support Palestinian refugee civil society groups to improve governance in refugee camps; and to reduce conflict both within camps and between Lebanese and Palestinian communities.

West Africa

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which joint projects his Department is engaged in (a) Sierra Leone, (b) Liberia, (c) Mali, (d) Niger and (e) Mozambique in each year since 2004; and what the name is of each project partner in each such country.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development works with a range of bilateral and multilateral development partners to support poverty reduction in developing countries. We have placed information in the Library of the House of Commons about projects funded jointly by DFID and one or more bilateral or multilateral partners in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Mozambique, for the years 2008 to 2010. Providing information for previous years would incur disproportionate cost.

West Africa: Overseas Aid

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what inward investment activity his Department's offices in (a) Sierra Leone, (b) Liberia, (c) Mali, (d) Niger and (e) Mozambique have undertaken in the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the (i) cost and (ii) investment returns of such activities.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development does not provide support directly for inward investment through its bilateral programmes.
	DFID recognises that private sector driven economic growth is essential for sustained poverty reduction. We support a number of African countries to tackle the barriers to growth and improve the enabling environment for business investment and trade, including Sierra Leone.
	A key part of the UK's development strategy in Sierra Leone is to reduce dependency on donor funds, through an increase in foreign investment. We are also working closely with the Government of Sierra Leone, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to improve access to finance for the private sector to drive wealth creation.

West Africa: Overseas Aid

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects funded by his Department in (a) Sierra Leone, (b) Liberia, (c) Mali, (d) Niger and (e) Mozambique cost over £5,000 in each year since 2006; what the (i) cost to the public purse, (ii) objectives and (iii) direct beneficiaries of each such project were; and what assessment reports have been completed for each such project.

Andrew Mitchell: Providing detailed information on all projects over £5,000 since 2006 would incur disproportionate cost. Information about the Department for International Development's (DFID's) bilateral programmes can be found on the DFID website, in a range of publications, and in the annual reports presented to Parliament.
	This Government are committed to making the aid budget transparent and accountable to the British taxpayer as well as recipients of our aid. That is why in January 2011, as part of the new UK Aid Transparency Guarantee, we began to publish information on the DFID website for all new projects over £500, including core project documentation. From 1 April 2011, all annual reviews and project completion reports for current projects valued at £1 million and over have also been made available on the website.

West Africa: Overseas Aid

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's aid budget for (a) Sierra Leone, (b) Liberia, (c) Mali, (d) Niger and (e) Mozambique was allocated to projects sponsored by his Department in each year since 2006; and how much and what proportion of the budget for each such country was paid directly to its government in each such year.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided bilateral funding to Sierra Leone, Niger and Mozambique since 2006. Information about project spending and funding supplied to governments has been placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
	Additional information relating to the aid budget and the proportion directed to recipient governments can be found on the DFID website in the annual publication “Statistics on International Development” (SID).

WORK AND PENSIONS

Employment and Support Allowance: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will initiate a review of the guidance on myalgic encephalomyelitis provided to (a) new and (b) existing (i) assessors and (ii) other staff in (A) his Department and (B) Atos.

Chris Grayling: Guidance on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is already kept under regular review. The guidance for decision-makers is updated in light of relevant developments. For Atos health care professionals there are a range of training and information products which are reviewed on an ongoing regular basis, such as a learning set which is reviewed annually.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he intends to apply a housing benefit deduction to social tenants deemed to be under-occupying their homes where a forthcoming change of circumstances would mean the property could no longer be defined as such due to dependent children reaching an age which changed their eligibility for a bedroom.

Steve Webb: We are currently considering the policy detail of this measure and how it will be implemented. Further details will be published in due course.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of claimants not currently eligible for housing benefit who will be affected by the proposed total household benefit cap.

Steve Webb: The number of claimants not currently eligible for housing benefit who will be affected by the proposed total household benefit cap is estimated to be less than 10%.
	Analysis of those affected by the benefit cap has been modelled using survey data—as such there is a degree of uncertainty around the results.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which benefit accounts for the largest proportion of welfare receipts of claimants likely to be affected by the proposed total housing benefit cap.

Steve Webb: It is estimated that child tax credit and housing benefit account for the largest proportion of welfare receipts of households that are likely to be affected by the total benefit cap.
	Analysis of those affected by the benefit cap has been modelled using survey data—as such there is a degree of uncertainty around the results.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he made of the level of (a) private and (b) social housing rents in forming his estimate of the likely number of people that will be affected by his planned benefits entitlement cap.

Steve Webb: The benefit cap modelling is based on DWP’s Policy Simulation Model, which uses data from the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey. Rent levels have been uprated from 2008-09 to 2013-14 prices, taking into account inflation projections, changes in housing policy and recent trends in rental prices.
	The impact assessment for the benefit cap is on the DWP website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/household-benefit-cap-wr2011-ia.pdf

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to produce an equality impact assessment in respect of his proposed changes to support for mortgage interest using a larger sample size.

Steve Webb: We draw on all available information and quantitative evidence to establish and produce written assessments of the impact of DWP policies on equality. There are, however, limitations in the available information which sometimes affect the scope of assessments, particularly in relation to different ethnic minority groups.
	In light of the introduction of universal credit, we are considering whether changes are needed to the current approach of calculating help with mortgage costs for both working age and pensioner claimants. There are a number of possible options which we are exploring fully. We believe it should be possible to provide support more efficiently but it will take time to reach a sensible conclusion on the long-term future design of any support for homeowners.
	In taking this work forward, we will assess equality impacts using all available information. We will also gather further information to inform the assessments where appropriate and cost-effective to do so.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to provide assistance to pensioners with outstanding mortgage debt; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Pensioners who are entitled to state pension credit may receive an additional element called support for mortgage interest. This makes a contribution towards the interest on eligible loans taken out to purchase the property, and specific loans for repairs and improvements which are necessary to maintain the home's fitness for habitation.
	We are considering currently whether changes are needed to the current approach of calculating help with mortgage costs for both pensioner and working age claimants. There are a number of possible options which we are exploring fully. We believe it should be possible to provide support more efficiently but it will take time to reach a sensible conclusion on the long-term future design of any support for homeowners.

National Employment Savings Trust Scheme: Shipping

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason merchant seamen are excluded from the National Employment Savings Trust.

Steve Webb: Under the automatic enrolment provisions which are due to be rolled out from 2012, employers to whom the duties apply will be able to use the National Employment Savings Trust, or any other qualifying pension scheme.
	The Pensions Act 2008 currently excludes seafarers from automatic enrolment. This was because time was needed to fully consider the complex issues that arose in considering whether and how seafarers would be covered by these provisions.
	Discussions with other interested Government Departments and stakeholders to resolve these issues are ongoing and I expect to be able to update the House on the conclusion of this work soon.

National Insurance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) new national insurance numbers were registered and (b) new workers there were in the UK in 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) latest figures available show that around 1.4 million new national insurance numbers (NINOs) were registered between April 2009 and March 2010. It would be disproportionately expensive to identify how many individuals worked for the first time during this period.

Unemployed People

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households where there has been multi-generational worklessness; and what proportion this represented of the total number of workless households.

Chris Grayling: The source for the official number of workless households and children in workless households is the household Labour Force Survey.
	Latest data (Quarter 4 2010) show there are almost 4 million households where no one works, covering 5.61 million working age (16 to 64) people and 1.86 million children aged 0 to 16.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which programmes of IT support for the implementation of universal credit have commenced to date.

Chris Grayling: The initial design of the universal credit core IT system is now under way and is being developed. The core IT system will include the online accessibility, the data store and the universal credit rules capability.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which organisation is the lead provider for each programme of IT support for implementation of universal credit; what the estimated budget of each programme is; what the principal deliverables from each programme are; and by what date each such deliverable is due.

Chris Grayling: Currently Accenture are the lead service providers for application development, and Hewlett-Packard Education Services are leading on the deployment of infrastructure. British Telecom are providing the networking provision. These contracts are in line with our current framework agreements.
	We expect the application and infrastructure to be delivered by October 2013.
	To safeguard our commercial position we are unable to divulge the specific IT budgets.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Nationals Abroad: Offences against Children

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of European Criminal Records Information System in enabling exchange of criminal records between EU member states; and what contribution he expects it to make to preventing known sex offenders from targeting children overseas.

Lynne Featherstone: I have been asked to reply.
	The implementation date for the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) is April 2012. When it is implemented we expect the speed with which criminal records are exchanged between EU member states to increase. We also expect member states to exchange more criminal records once this can be done electronically rather than on paper. Together these should improve the effectiveness of criminal record exchange within the European Union.
	ECRIS is not an EU-wide criminal record system, nor is it EU-wide sex offenders' register. It is instead a computerised criminal record exchange system. The effectiveness with which ECRIS will prevent known sex offenders from targeting children overseas depends on the extent to which other member states chose to make requests for the previous convictions of those seeking to work with children. The UK already encourages other member states to seek the previous convictions of UK nationals who are seeking to work with children.

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department plans to cease to fund any of its functions over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

David Lidington: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) made clear in his statement to the House on 11 May 2011, Official Report, columns 1165-1168, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no plans to cease to fund any of its core functions as a result of its 2010 spending round settlement.
	However, in 2014-15 responsibility for funding the British Broadcasting Corporation World Service will transfer from being a ‘grant-in-aid’ payment from the FCO to the Licence Fee.

United Nations General Assembly

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the resolution passed at the United Nations General Assembly to grant the EU higher participation status; what additional rights for the EU he expects as a result of that resolution; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The United Nations General Assembly resolution on the “Participation of the European Union in the Work of the United Nations” was adopted on 3 May 2011 in the United Nations General Assembly by a vote of 180 in favour, 0 against and 2 abstentions, Syria and Zimbabwe.
	As the Deputy Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Clegg), said in his address to the UN General Assembly in September 2010.
	“it is important that the vital role of the EU in promoting development and prosperity can be adequately represented in the General Assembly.”
	The 3 May 2011 result achieves this, while preserving our interests on how EU member states are represented externally.
	The resolution allows technical and procedural changes to ensure the EU can continue to be represented as effectively as it was before the new presidency arrangements established by the Lisbon treaty came into effect before the resolution, the EU's rotating presidency, or another EU member state, represented the EU agreed position in the UN General Assembly. The Lisbon treaty transferred from the rotating presidency to the High Representative the responsibilities for chairing the Foreign Affairs Council and representing common foreign policy positions agreed unanimously by the member states. This resolution now allows that, while remaining an observer, the EU itself can represent common agreed positions of member states in the General Assembly. EU representatives—including the President of the European Council or Baroness Ashton—can now be inscribed on the list of speakers among representatives of major groups in order to make early interventions and may be invited to participate in the general debate of the General Assembly, subject to the limits set out in the resolution text. It remains the case, however, that the EU representatives can only do this if the UK and other member states authorise them to do so. Furthermore, EU representatives speak and act on behalf of the 27 member states with their authorisation, not in addition to them.
	The resolution underlines the intergovernmental nature of the General Assembly, whose membership is limited to UN member states. It does not affect the UK's sovereignty; nor does it affect the UK's ability to act independently in the UN or internationally. The rights of individual EU member states are not curtailed. Moreover, the resolution makes very clear that the EU will remain an observer. Its status in the General Assembly is unchanged.
	The EU representative will continue to be seated among the other international organisations that have observer status.
	The effect of the resolution is limited to the General Assembly (including Committees, working groups, international meetings and UN conferences). It does not affect the rights or status of the EU or member states in any other UN body or international organisation. The UK's position in the UN Security Council is not affected.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Data Protection

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Attorney-General how many contracts the Law Officers' Departments hold which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; to which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each such contract are held; and how many people have their data stored overseas under each such contract.

Edward Garnier: The Law Officers' Departments do not have any contracts which permit the contractor to store personal data of UK citizens overseas.

TRANSPORT

Aircraft: Seating

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to review the regulations governing (a) the minimum size of and (b) distance between passenger seats applicable to aircraft registered in the UK.

Theresa Villiers: The requirements for seat standards in commercial transport aircraft are set by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). They apply to EU registered aircraft including those registered in the UK.
	The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has an additional requirement which identifies minimum seat spacing for all UK registered aircraft commonly used in commercial flights to ensure that passengers are able to vacate their seats quickly in an emergency. The CAA has notified EASA of this requirement and the safety case for establishing a minimum distance between seat rows.

Aviation: Biofuels

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with which representatives of (a) European and (b) UK organisations he has discussed the use of biofuels in aviation since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport Ministers meet regularly with representatives from UK and European organisations where they discuss a range of transport issues including the use of biofuels in aviation.
	The Government have announced their intention to develop a sustainable policy framework for UK aviation. On 30 March 2011, the Department for Transport published a scoping document that frames the debate on the future direction of aviation policy and asks a series of questions, including on use of biofuels in aviation. The responses to the scoping document will help to inform the development of a draft framework, which we intend to publish for full public consultation in March 2012.

Aviation: Working Hours

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with (a) airlines and (b) pilots' representatives since May 2010.

Theresa Villiers: Ministers in the Department for Transport frequently meet with representatives of airlines and pilots. Details of all ministerial meetings with external organisations between May 2010 and December 2010 have been published on the Department's website:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/ministers/transparency/
	Information since January 2011 is being collated and will be released as soon as practical to do so.

Biofuels

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department classifies bio-ethanol as a second generation biofuel; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: Bioethanol is ethanol produced from bio sources. It can be classed as either first or second generation (advanced) biofuel depending on the feedstock and processes used to produce it.
	First generation bioethanol derived from crops such as wheat, sugar cane and sugar beet is one of the most common biofuels in use today. Some 29% of biofuel supplied under the renewable transport fuel obligation in year 2009-10 was bioethanol.
	DFT recognises that advanced or “second generation” biofuels may offer many benefits including increased greenhouse gas savings, producing fuels from land which was otherwise unproductive or from waste material with no other uses. Some advanced biofuels may also be more readily used in current vehicles than first generation biofuels.
	The renewable energy directive encourages biofuels from wastes, residues and lignocellulosic material, by double counting the contribution they make towards national targets.

Biofuels

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department plans to conduct its consultation on the inclusion of bio-methanol as a biofuel classified as eligible for rewards under the renewable transport fuels obligation; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: Biofuels are supported in the UK through the renewable transport fuels obligation (RTFO). One renewable transport fuel certificate is awarded for every litre (or kilogram in the case of gaseous fuels) of biofuel reported.
	We are currently consulting on amendments to the RTFO to implement both the transport elements of the renewable energy directive (RED) and aspects of the closely related fuel quality directive (FQD).
	The consultation includes the proposal to expand the scope of the current RTFO such that all renewable fuels of biological origin are eligible to be counted towards discharging the obligation. This proposed change would make bio-methanol eligible for support through the RTFO. The consultation documents are available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/

Biofuels

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his Department has given to the findings of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics report, Biofuels: ethical issues; and whether he plans to take any steps as a consequence of its findings.

Norman Baker: The Nuffield Council on Bioethics report presents some finely balanced arguments around the ethical issues of biofuels.
	The Government are clear that biofuels used must lead to a worthwhile reduction in carbon emissions and be sustainable. We are working with colleagues across Government to ensure a coherent approach to the deployment of sustainable biofuels.
	As part of the EU renewable energy directive, the European Commission must monitor and report every two years on the impact of biofuel policy on social sustainability.
	The reports must address issues of land use rights, and state whether the raw material for biofuel use in the EU has complied with Conventions of the International Labour Organisation. If necessary the Commission must propose corrective action.

Commuters

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to promote Walk to Work Week to commuters.

Norman Baker: The coalition Government are committed to supporting sustainable travel initiatives, including walking and cycling. Given that half of all car journeys are under five miles there would be improvements to health, air quality and traffic congestion if more of these journeys were undertaken either on foot, bike, or by public transport.
	Our new Local Sustainable Transport Fund has made £560 million available to local transport authorities to fund schemes that create growth and cut carbon, including those which incentivise walking.
	On 12 May I walked to work with Living Streets as part of Walk to Work week. Many members of staff at the Department of Transport and across Whitehall have also taken the opportunity to walk to work.
	We are also encouraging staff to think about how they can travel and work differently as part of our preparations for reducing our travel during the Olympics next summer.

Cycling: Safety

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet representatives of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group to discuss issues of road safety of interest to cyclists.

Michael Penning: I would be delighted to meet with representatives of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group to discuss road safety issues of interest to cyclists. We share the objective of improving cycling safety and I would be interested to hear the group's views on how the Government can best support the delivery of this objective.

Departmental Public Transport

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last travelled by (i) London Underground and (ii) public bus services on government business; how many times (A) he and (B) each other Minister in his Department has travelled by each such form of transport on government business since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) (i) The Secretary of State for Transport most recently travelled by London Underground on Government business last week on 11 and 13 of May 2011.
	(b) (i) The Minister of State, Department for Transport last travelled by London Underground on Government business on 16 May 2011.
	The Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) has not travelled by London Underground.
	I last travelled by London Underground on Government business on 6 April 2011.
	(b) (ii) The Minister of State, Department for Transport has not travelled by public bus on Government business.
	The Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) last travelled by public bus on Government business on 15 March 2011.
	I last travelled by public bus on Government business on 10 May 2011.
	The Secretary of State for Transport has not travelled on public bus on official business.
	Information about the number of journeys undertaken by each Minister by each form of transport is not recorded in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, given the frequency with which public transport is used by Ministers.
	Ministers at the Department for Transport proactively seek to use public transport or cycling options wherever possible. Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost effective travel arrangements.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Yeovil

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the location will be of the new DVLA driving test centre in Yeovil; when that centre will open; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Negotiations for a licence to occupy a unit at the Abbey Business Park, Yeovil are close to being concluded. A planning application for change of use has been lodged with South Somerset district council (SSDC) and a decision is awaited.
	The opening of the new test centre is dependent on SSDC agreeing the change of use.
	The Driving Standards Agency cannot commit to an opening date for the test centre until the outcome of the application is known.

Great Western Railway: Finance

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments his Department has made to First Great Western in each year since the company became the franchise holder for the Great Western Main Line; and what the total net subsidy to that company has been during that period.

Theresa Villiers: This information is published annually by the Office of Rail Regulation in ‘National Rail Trends’. Copies are available in the Library of the House and online at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1863

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities were sent a letter announcing the launch of the current public consultation on High Speed 2.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 4 May 2011
	I wrote to all council leaders in England on 28 February with details of the public consultation.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that service operators on the West Coast Mainline do not attempt to compete on speed with High Speed 2 services by reducing the number of places serviced on their long-distance routes between London and Manchester.

Philip Hammond: The specification for any franchise on the West Coast Main Line after 2026 would not be determined until considerably nearer the time. However, the West Coast Main Line is likely to be considerably better placed to compete with HS2 in terms of destinations served rather than journey speeds.

Motor Vehicle: Testing

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has any plans to change the frequency of MOT inspections for private and commercial vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: holding answer 3 May 2011
	I intend to review the MOT test scheme. I have no preconceptions about the outcome of a review; the aim will be to strike the right balance between vehicle safety and the burden imposed on motorists by MOT test requirements.
	I will make an announcement in due course about the timing and scope of the review, which will include, but not be limited to, a review of MOT test frequency. There will be an opportunity for anyone with an interest to contribute to the debate.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport of 30 March 2011, Official Report, column 144WH, what proportion of receipts from vehicle excise duty and other taxes on motorists were spent on the road network in the latest period for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The Chancellor of the Exchequer's annual Budget document, available via the HM Treasury website, sets out the Government's spending and revenue plans. Revenue from the various motoring taxes (including fuel duties and vehicle excise duties) is not ring-fenced for expenditure on roads.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce an exemption for car rental and leasing businesses from responsibility for parking fines incurred by customers hiring their vehicles.

Norman Baker: Regulations made by the Government for parking enforcement in England (including London) under the Traffic Management Act 2004 enable the keeper of a vehicle that was, at the material time, hired from a vehicle hire company under a hiring agreement, to pass responsibility for the payment of any penalty charge notice (PCN) incurred to the hirer. We have no plans to change the regulations.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department collects information on the (a) revenue generated from (i) permits and (ii) fines in relation to restricted parking zones and (b) the number of parking permits issued for restricted parking zones by local authorities.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State for Transport does not collect any information in relation to (a) revenue generated from (i) permits (ii) fines in relation to restricted parking zones or (b) the number of parking permits issued for restricted parking zones.

Railways: Franchises

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had on the inclusion of language requirements in the tendering process for rail franchises which include Wales.

Theresa Villiers: No discussions have taken place. As part of the recent consultation on the Intercity West Coast franchise, the Department received no representation for documentation or meetings in languages other than English.

Renewable Energy: EU Law

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department expects to fully implement the Renewable Energy Directive before the outcome of the EU examination of indirect land use change; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: We are currently consulting on proposals to implement the transport elements of the Renewable Energy Directive. The consultation period will run until 2 June 2011. Consultation documents can be found on the Department for Transport (DfT) website.
	DfT takes the issue of indirect land use change (ILUC) seriously. We have recently published research on the scale of ILUC and are continuing to lead work on how to reduce ILUC impacts.
	Given the legitimate concerns and uncertainties around the sustainability of some biofuels, the consultation does not propose changes to the current overall biofuel supply trajectory that is set out in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Order 2007. However, there will be a legal obligation on the Secretary of State for Transport to keep this issue under review and to consider what additional measures will be required to ensure that the UK delivers the requirements of the EU RED and Fuel Quality Directive period 2014 to 2020.
	We will review the European Commission report on options for addressing ILUC before setting post-2014 targets.

Roads: Accidents

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the potential effects of his proposals for the MOT vehicle test on the number of people (a) killed, (b) seriously injured and (c) slightly injured as a result of motoring accidents; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: I intend to review the MOT test scheme. I want to make sure that a review takes account of all the latest information available to us. To that end, we have recently published the results of independent research the Department commissioned to examine how vehicle defects affect accident rates, and to consider the potential road safety impact of changing the frequency of the MOT. The Effect of Vehicle Defects in Road Accidents report can be found at
	http://www.trl.co.uk/library/reports_publications/latest_publications/
	This research will be a useful addition to other information we will be gathering through the review process.

Roads: EU Action

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to bring forward proposals to allow the EU to exercise greater control over the road network in the UK.

Michael Penning: holding answer 28 April 2011
	There are no proposals to give the EU greater control over the UK's road network and the Government have no intention of bringing forward any such proposals.

Rolling Stock: Repairs and Maintenance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train carriages his Department has paid to be refurbished in the last five years.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has not directly funded refurbishment of train carriages. This is usually funded by rolling stock leasing companies or train operating companies.

Vehicle Number Plates: Fraud

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanism he has put in place to prevent the cloning of number plates.

Michael Penning: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) maintains a register of number plate suppliers as a means of regulating the supply of number plates. Since 2003 customers requiring new or replacement number plates have been required to provide evidence of entitlement to the registration mark and proof of identity before being issued with a number plate. Suppliers are required to keep records of sales. DVLA enforcement officers take action in cases of non-compliance.
	In addition, DVLA has endorsed a voluntary standard for anti-theft number plates that are incapable of being removed from a vehicle and re-used. These plates are commercially available and motorists are encouraged to fit them as a sensible precaution to protect themselves against the risk of theft.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on succession rights and social housing.

Andrew Stunell: So far this year, the Department has received seven letters from Members of Parliament and members of the public on succession rights in social housing. These letters have focussed on the restrictions imposed by current legislation in this area.
	The Localism Bill contains provisions that will change succession rules to allow social landlords greater freedom to grant further succession rights in the light of individual circumstances.

Allotments

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers his Department has concerning the provision of allotments; what plans he has for his policy on allotments; and what his policy is on allotment owners who have their own garden.

Bob Neill: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles) has powers to consent to the disposal of statutory allotments or the use of statutory allotments for other purposes.
	The Department has no intention of removing statutory protections for allotments and, as such, we have no plans to remove local authorities’ statutory duties to provide allotments. We will continue to support local communities who want to use local spaces for community food growing, and to protect existing land for this purpose, for example, through new neighbourhood planning provisions in the Localism Bill, which will provide a new right for communities to shape their local areas, including the means to boost allotment provision. The Department published a news release to this effect on 7 May, available at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1897155
	Research produced by the university of Derby in 2006, based on a partial survey of local authorities, reported that in the period 1996 to 2006, the number of allotment plots fell by 50,630. The report, commissioned but unpublished by the previous Government, was posted up on the DCLG website on 6 May, available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/1897047.pdf
	We will also continue to help highlight guidance to local authorities, available via “A Place to Grow” on the LGA website at:
	www.lga.gov.uk/lga/publications/publication-display.do?id=9027596
	The Department has no specific policy on allotment holders who have their own gardens.

Audit Commission

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date he decided to appoint consultants to advise on future arrangements for the audit practice aspect of the Audit Commission's work; and what the cost of appointing them was.

Bob Neill: holding answer 3 May 2011
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles) agreed in February that officials could begin a competitive tender process for financial advice relating to the transfer of the work of the Audit Commission's in-house practice into the private sector. The successful tenderer, FTI, was subsequently appointed in April at a cost of £100,000 excluding VAT. I refer the hon. Member to the news story about this appointment on my Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsstories/localgovernment/1889672
	As part of the Government's commitment to transparency, this contract, like all contracts entered into by the Department, is available on the following website:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/

Council Housing

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to prevent the sub-letting of council houses by their tenants.

Andrew Stunell: Last December, the Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), announced a £20 million package to help social landlords crack down on the unlawful sub-letting of their stock.
	Approximately £19 million will be given to local authorities over the next four years, and we are also funding the Chartered Institute of Housing to host a team of experts to offer practical help and advice to social landlords on the most effective ways to tackle tenancy fraud and under-occupation.
	The Department is continuing to work closely with the National Fraud Authority who has recently announced the creation of a framework agreement that will allow local authorities to use credit reference agencies more cheaply.
	On 11 May, my Department issued a 10-point checklist in conjunction with the National Fraud Authority on how councils can save taxpayers’ money by tackling fraud. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

Departmental Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many invoices his Department received in respect of goods or services supplied by tier 1 suppliers between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011; and how many of those invoices were not paid within the period of time specified in the Government's Fair Payment guidance.

Bob Neill: In the period between 1 May 2010 and 31 March 2011 a total of 27,319 invoices were processed for payment of which 5,418 (19.84%) were not paid within the five-day prompt payment target. (The target is that 80% are to be paid within five days.)

Derelict Land: Housing

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of homes built in each of the last 14 years were built on brownfield land.

Greg Clark: Information on the proportion of homes built on previously-developed land (including all conversions), the proportion on previously residential land and the proportion on previously developed land excluding land that was previously residential is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Proportion of dwellings built on previously-developed land 
			 Percentage 
			  All previously-developed land plus all conversions  (1) Previously residential land  (2,3) All previously developed land excl. previously residential 
			 1995 57 12 43 
			 1996 57 11 42 
			 1997 56 11 42 
			 1998 58 12 43 
			 1999 59 12 44 
			 2000 62 15 44 
			 2001 64 15 46 
			 2002 67 15 49 
			 2003 70 16 51 
			 2004 75 19 53 
			 2005 77 20 55 
			 2006 76 22 52 
			 2007 77 27 50 
			 2008 80 24 54 
			 2009(4) 80 27 51 
			 (1) Net additional homes from conversion of existing dwellings; estimated to add three percentage points up to 2002. The process of estimation has been elaborated from 2003. (2) As reported by Ordnance Survey, mainly excluding conversions. (3) Includes development on gardens and after demolition of dwellings. (4) Provisional. Source: Land Use Change Statistics Live Tables 211 and 221

Energy Performance Certificates

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of small businesses that will be affected by the requirement for holiday lets to have energy performance certificates.

Andrew Stunell: Where the owner intends to rent out the property for a combined period of more than four months in any 12 month period, we estimate that 55,000 to 70,000 dwellings which are used as short term holiday lets will be affected.
	An impact assessment is available on my Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/epcholidayletsia
	Since fuel bills for short term holiday lets are normally paid for by the property owner, increasing transparency about the energy efficiency of the building will reduce utility bills for the owner, if the recommendations are taken up.

Fire Services: Hoaxes and False Alarms

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) genuine and (b) malicious fire emergency calls have been received from Leeds North West constituency in each year since 2004.

Bob Neill: The information held centrally is only to fire authority level. The numbers of malicious false alarm calls and other emergency calls to West Yorkshire fire and rescue service are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Total emergency calls and malicious false alarms calls to West Yorkshire fire and rescue service  ,   2004-0  5  (1 )  to 2009-10 
			  2004-05  (1) 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Malicious false alarm calls n/a 4,062 3,903 2,395 2,149 1,415 
			 Other emergency calls n/a 88,625 88,458 82,000 76,163 74,012 
			 Total emergency calls 88,401 92,687 92,361 84,395 78,312 75,427 
			 (1) Data for malicious/other emergency calls were not held centrally prior to 2005-06.  Source:  West Yorkshire fire and rescue service.

Housing: Construction

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of homes built in Portsmouth were built on brownfield land in each of the last five years.

Greg Clark: Information on the proportion of homes built on previously developed land, the proportion on previously residential land and the proportion on previously developed land excluding land that was previously residential in Portsmouth is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Proportion of new d  wellings built on previously developed and previously   residential land, Portsmouth 
			  Previously   developed Previously   residential  (1) All previously developed land excluding previously residential 
			 1994-97 70 12 58 
			 1998 to 2001 85 17 68 
			 2002-05 95 16 79 
			 2006-09 91 21 70 
			 (1) 1ncludes development on gardens and after demolition of dwellings. Source: Land Use Change Statistics. 
		
	
	Information for local authorities is shown for four-year periods because of volatility in estimates for individual years.

Land: Ownership

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to facilitate councils taking control of abandoned land with no registered owner.

Bob Neill: If the council requires the land for a scheme and can demonstrate that there is a compelling case in the public interest for its acquisition, they already have a range of compulsory purchase powers which they can use to acquire and regenerate abandoned land.

Religious Buildings: Planning Permission

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications for places of religious worship were considered by the Planning Inspectorate in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: The total number of related planning applications considered by the Planning Inspectorate, as appeals or called in applications, for each of the last three financial years is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial year Number considered 
			 2008-09 33 
			 2009-10 42 
			 2010-11 46

Rented Housing: Private Sector

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with Shelter on unscrupulous landlords since May 2010.

Andrew Stunell: Ministers in the Department have discussed issues of mutual interest with Shelter on 10 occasions since May 2010. These discussions have covered a range of topics, including private rented sector landlords.

Shared Ownership Schemes

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of shared ownership properties that have been sold on in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Stunell: Information on shared ownership sales is recorded in CORE (Continuous Recording of Lettings and Sales of social housing in England). The latest statistical release relates to 2009-10 and was published by the Tenants Services Authority in September 2010. This shows that there were 5,481 new build homebuy (shared ownership) sales and 674 other shared ownership sales by registered social landlords in 2009-10.
	Information on onward sales of shared ownership properties by their owners is not collected centrally as these are sales by individual private owners and not by registered providers. However, where the property is returned to the registered provider for resale, this information is requested on CORE and an estimated 18% of shared ownership sales were identified as this type of resale.

Tenant Services Authority: Government Procurement Card

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date of purchase, (b) gross amount, (c) level 3 line item detail and (d) supplier was in respect of each transaction by the Tenants Service Authority using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Andrew Stunell: A table providing a breakdown of expenditure by the Tenant Services Authority using Government Procurement Cards for 2008-09 and 2009-10 has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The data cover the periods 1 December 2008 (when the TSA commenced business) to 31 March 2009; and 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010. Total expenditure in 2008-09 was £31,561.00. Total expenditure in 2009-10 was £114,649.93.
	The bulk of the transactions are at or below £50 - 39% of total in 2008-09 and 53% of total in 2009-10.
	The spending controls and disciplines introduced by this Government have led to the number of Government Procurement Card users and value of transactions decreasing, so that there are now only four members of staff who have a card.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Aviation: Treaties

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on the ratification of the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment.

Mark Prisk: The UK is committed to its ratification, and issued a call for evidence last year July seeking stakeholder views. Following the call for evidence, BIS officials held several meetings with industry stakeholders to discuss the benefits of UK ratification. A Government response to the call for evidence will be released in the near future.

English Language: Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will assess the potential impact on community cohesion of the withdrawal of full fee remission for students of English for speakers of other languages courses;
	(2)  whether he has made an assessment of the potential effects on community cohesion of the withdrawal of full fee remission for students of English for speakers of other languages courses who are asylum seekers;
	(3)  whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the status of asylum seekers in relation to the removal of full fee remission for students of English for speakers of other languages.

John Hayes: The equality impact assessment published alongside ‘Skills for Sustainable Growth’ (November 2010) found that, at the aggregate level, there are unlikely to be disproportionate impacts on protected groups. A separate assessment of how the changes may affect English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners is currently being carried out by this Department, and I expect to be able to publish this before summer recess.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has not had discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, specifically regarding fee remission for asylum seekers studying ESOL.

Graduates: Pay

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the likely level of additional lifelong earnings a person can expect to receive attributable to (a) study for a university degree and (b) completion of an apprenticeship.

John Hayes: Over their working life, the average graduate earns comfortably over £100,000 more, net of taxation and in today’s valuation, compared to similar individuals with two or more A-Levels who do not go to university.
	This is demonstrated in reports including ‘The Return to a University Education in Great Britain’ and ‘The Economic Benefits of Higher Education Qualifications’, which can be accessed at:
	http://ner.sagepub.com/content/193/1/75.full.pdf.
	http://www.rsc.org/images/EconomicBenefitsHigher EducationQualifications_tcm18-12647.pdf
	The net lifetime benefit of completing an advanced apprenticeship is around £105,000, when compared with similar individuals whose highest qualification is at level 2. The corresponding estimate for an intermediate apprenticeship is £73,000, when compared with similar individuals whose highest qualification is at level 1 or level 2.
	The estimates for apprenticeships capture the benefits to the learner—in terms of higher lifetime gross earnings in today’s valuation—net of the costs of undertaking the learning, including both the resource costs to the state and the employer, and the value of production which is foregone while learning takes place.
	This is demonstrated in ‘A Cost Benefit Analysis of Apprenticeships and Other Vocational Qualifications’, which can be accessed at:
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/RR834.pdf.

Graduates: Work Experience

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had to promote (a) graduate employment and (b) support for small businesses following the end of the Graduate Internship Scheme.

David Willetts: I chaired the Graduate Employment Forum on 3 March and had a good discussion on graduate opportunities and employment.
	The Government have decided to provide funding to continue the Graduate Talent Pool internship vacancy and matching service and extend it to include 2011 graduates. As well as benefitting graduates this will enable employers from all sectors, particularly SMEs, to test the benefits of employing enthusiastic graduates in the longer term.

Higher Education: Admissions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has discussed with ministerial colleagues any potential changes to charity law in consequence of his recent proposals on off-quota university places.

David Willetts: The forthcoming higher education White Paper will consult on options for introducing off-quota recruitment. Any such scheme would need to comply with the conditions that the principles of fair access must apply, there would need to be genuine additional places, and there would be no reduction in entrance standards. Therefore it is clearly not the intention that, for example, independent schools should be able to sponsor places for their own pupils and after consultation we will ensure that there is a framework in place to prevent this.
	On the basis of this consultation we will consider the legal implications of subsequent proposals for off-quota recruitment and look to introduce any necessary powers or changes to existing laws, subject to Parliament, during 2012.

Higher Education: Admissions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with (a) universities, (b) charities and (c) businesses on off-quota university places; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 16 May 2011
	The purpose of considering off-quota proposals is to look at how we might make it easier for employers and charities to sponsor students at universities, and allow institutions to expand courses where employers or charities cover the costs of additional students.
	We have already discussed this and other options for freeing up the control of student number allocations with a number of stakeholders. All proposals will be subject to wider consultation following the publication of the forthcoming higher education White Paper.

Postal Services

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the minimum number of access points for postal services necessary to meet the interests of the public throughout the UK.

Edward Davey: Under the Postal Services Bill, Ofcom will have a duty to carry out their functions in a way that they consider will secure the provision of sufficient access points to meet the reasonable needs of users. It is expected that in fulfilling that duty, Ofcom will conduct thorough research and analysis, and will consult users in order to take their views into account. Any assessment by the Secretary of State will be informed by Ofcom's analysis.

Postal Services: Fees and Charges

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will request Royal Mail to review its handling fee for low-value goods imported from outside the EU.

Edward Davey: The handling fee is an operational matter for Royal Mail and Government, as shareholder, do not play a role in decisions on this.
	My hon. Friend may be interested to note that the Government's Postal Services Bill will insert a new section into the Postal Services Act 2000 which, for the first time, will give the postal regulator the power to direct postal operators on the level of handling charges.

Space Technology: Libya

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what purposes an export licence was granted to Libya for spacecraft; what goods have been supplied under this licence; and whether this licence remains in force.

Mark Prisk: This export licence was for export of an earth observation satellite for remote sensing applications. No goods have been supplied under this licence. The licence was revoked on 24 February 2011.

Students: Fees and Charges

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether there are circumstances in which a university may vary the published fees for a course after September 2012.

David Willetts: holding answer 12 May 2011
	Individual institutions determine their tuition charges including any discounts or waivers as a contribution to the National Scholarship Programme or as part of a broader institutional package of financial support to promote access to higher education.
	Any institution that considers altering its previously advertised prices or support package will need to consider the wider implications of such change, not least if it would be unfair on applicants who may have already accepted a higher charge or different support package for the same course. The Director of Fair Access has indicated that in such circumstances he would expect that institutions will want to offer the same financial package to all eligible applicants, including students who have already accepted an offer, not just those who applied late in the cycle.

Tobacco: Retail Trade

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will request the Office of Fair Trading to investigate the implications for (a) competition between companies and (b) the retail tobacco market of any introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products.

Edward Davey: The Government have announced that they will look at the plain packaging of tobacco products in Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England and have committed to explore fully the competition, trade and legal implications and other issues arising from plain packaging. Department of Health will consult by the end of 2011 on options to reduce the promotional impact of tobacco packaging, including consultation on a draft impact assessment.

Trade Promotion

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) Commonwealth countries and (b) other non-EU countries on trade promotion.

Mark Prisk: The Government's lead department for trade promotion is UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), a joint department of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
	UKTI focuses its resources on helping British companies to succeed in the markets where there is greatest demand from business for UKTI services, reflecting actual and potential opportunities in these markets. It has a presence in 96 markets around the world and this includes 20 Commonwealth countries which are trading partners for the UK, as well as a number of non-EU member state countries. Where there is no UKTI presence, FCO provides diplomatic support for British companies.
	It is not possible to provide information on all the interactions that UKTI has had with the countries where it has a presence, as these are continuing and ongoing. There have been some notable, high profile, senior ministerial visits to target markets over the last year; participants have included the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and my noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, among others. Markets visited with ministerial delegations have included China, India, Brazil, Russia, the middle east and Egypt.
	Based on HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade Statistics, UK exports of goods to Commonwealth countries in 2010 were worth some £23.9 billion and imports £31.4 billion. UK exports of goods to non-EU, non-Commonwealth countries in 2010 were worth some £112.0 billion and imports £161.3 billion.
	Separately, UKTI's new strategy, Britain Open for Business, sets out plans to provide practical support to exporters and inward investors over the next five years. Working with the FCO, UKTI has identified 19 high-priority markets where they will intensify efforts and shift further resource to help UK companies seize opportunities. The full list of these markets is: Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. We will also target Hong Kong both as a market in its own right and as a springboard into the mainland China market.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Arrest Warrants

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average a subject of a request for surrender under a European Arrest Warrant spent on remand before surrender in each year since the inception of the warrant; and what the average length of time remaining on the sentence at the date of surrender was in each such year.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 May 2011
	There is no Home Office involvement in the operation of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW). This is a judicial process issued for the purposes of conducting a criminal prosecution against someone accused of an offence or for enforcing a term of imprisonment, where the person sought has been convicted of an offence.
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (for Scotland) are the designated authorities for processing EAWs in the UK.
	SOCA does not routinely store this information. To answer this question, a manual examination of approximately 1,700 files (the total number of people surrendered by the UK under the EAW since 2004) would be required, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Arrest Warrants

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the average number of occasions the subject of a request for surrender under a European arrest warrant has entered and left the requesting member state between the date of the alleged offence and the date of the request in each year since the inception of the warrant.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 May 2011
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) does not hold the relevant information to answer this question.

Arrest Warrants

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for surrender of an individual under a European Arrest Warrant her Department has received in each year since its inception.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 May 2011
	The following table shows the number of European Arrest Warrant (EAW) requests received by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) each year since the inception of the EAW in 2004.
	
		
			  EAW requests received by the UK 
			 2010 (1 January 2010 to 31 March 2010) 1,080 
			 2009 4,004 
			 2008 3,307 
			 2007 2,280 
			 2006 5,020 
			 2005 5,986 
			 2004 1,865

Arrest Warrants

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time to elapse between the date of an alleged offence and the receipt of a request for surrender in respect of that offence under the European Arrest Warrant by her Department was in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 May 2011
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) does not routinely store this information. To answer this question a manual examination of over 23,500 files (the total number of European Arrest Warrants SOCA has received since 1 January 2004) would be required, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Detainees

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons under the age of 18 are detained awaiting the outcome of asylum applications.

Damian Green: As of 7 May 2011 there were no individuals under the age of 18 detained by the UK Border Agency in immigration removal centres.

Children: Protection

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the merits of ratifying and implementing the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.

James Brokenshire: Child sexual exploitation is an appalling crime. It is a form of child sexual abuse and tackling it is an absolute priority for the Government.
	In May 2008, the UK signed the Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Convention sets standards to ensure that countries criminalise the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adopt similar standards of investigation and prosecution of these crimes. Officials across a number of Government Departments are currently considering the steps that would be required to ratify the Council of Europe Convention.

Departmental Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many invoices her Department received in respect of goods or services supplied by tier 1 suppliers between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011; and how many of those invoices were not paid within the period of time specified in the Government's Fair Payment guidance.

Damian Green: The Department received a total of 63,893 compliant invoices on five-day and 30-day terms in respect of goods or services supplied between 1 May 2010 and 1 April 2011. Of this number, a total of 176 invoices on 30-day terms were not paid within the period of time specified in the Government's Fair Payment guidance.

Departmental Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanism her Department has established to ensure its payments are passed through the supply chain to each tier in accordance with the last date for payment defined in the Government's Fair Payment guidance.

Damian Green: The Department expects suppliers to pass the benefits of prompt payment down the supply chain. An on-line questionnaire with our suppliers is used to monitor compliance.

Departmental Data Protection

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department holds which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; to which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each such contract are held; and how many people have their data stored overseas under each such contract.

Damian Green: The Home Department, inclusive of its Executive agencies, holds just one contract where personal data of UK citizens are stored overseas. The contract is with Carlson Wagonlit Travel and a total of 13,975 personal details are stored for travel booking purposes across the UK, Spain, Germany and USA.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional pay she plans to provide to officials in her Department in the period from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013 to reflect (a) seniority, (b) promotion and (c) performance.

Damian Green: No other changes are planned to Home Office pay arrangements this year other than those given in the Government's pay freeze policy, which will continue to apply in 2011-12.
	Payments made in 2012-13 will continue to be subject to affordability criteria and Government public sector pay policy at that time.

Departmental Public Transport

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date (a) she and (b) each other Minister in her Department last travelled by (i) London Underground and (ii) public bus services on government business; how many times (A) she and (B) each other Minister in her Department has travelled by each such form of transport on government business since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Department holds the following information on ministerial travel by these forms of public transport:
	Ministers in the Home Department last travelled by London Underground on Home Office business on the following occasions:
	Lynne Featherstone—9 November 2010
	James Brokenshire—16 December 2010
	Damian Green—9 February 2011
	Nick Herbert—6 April 2011
	No Ministers in the Home Department have travelled by public bus on official Home Office business.
	To obtain the total number of times these Ministers have travelled by London Underground on Home Office business could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to cease to fund any of its functions over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

Damian Green: The Home Office Business Plan sets out the Department's structural reform priorities over the four years of the spending review, including changes to certain functions. In particular, the Department will no longer impose unnecessary burdens and bureaucracy on the police or local partners, or intrude disproportionately on civil liberties and freedoms. I am confident that the Home Office will be able to achieve the priorities and carry out the functions set out in the Business Plan, while making overall savings of 23% in real terms by 2014-15, in line with the spending review settlement.

Domestic Violence: Advisory Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated in respect of independent domestic violence advisers in (a) each financial year for which such funding has been available and (b) financial year 2011-12 to date.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 16 May 2011
	We have allocated funding for independent domestic violence advisers (IDVAs) in the following financial years:
	In 2005-06: funding of £1 million to support the delivery of specialist domestic violence courts—this would have included funding IDVAs;
	In 2006-07: funding of £2 million for IDVAs and independent sexual violence advisers;
	In 2008-09 and 2009-10: funding was allocated to Government offices to support the Government response to tackle domestic and sexual violence. This would have included funding for IDVAs but we do not have a breakdown of the specific amount.
	In 2010-11: we allocated £2.3 million for IDVAs and in 2011-12 we will allocate £2.5 million.

Domestic Violence: Advisory Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for funding for independent domestic violence advisers (a) her Department has received and (b) have been granted in financial year 2011-12 to date.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 16 May 2011
	We received over 230 applications for independent domestic violence adviser (IDVA) funding from over 200 organisations (statutory and voluntary).
	We have granted funding towards 144 posts (statutory and voluntary) in the financial year 2011-12.

Driving Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers have been (a) stopped by police on suspicion of, (b) charged with, (c) convicted of, (d) fined for and (e) cautioned for an offence of driving while using a mobile telephone in each police force area in each year since the prohibition came into force.

James Brokenshire: There were 125,516 fixed penalty notices issued by the 43 police forces of England and Wales for the use of handheld mobile phone while driving in 2009 compared with 115,926 in 2008.
	A breakdown by police force area for 2009 can be found on page 67, table 3.01, column 4 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Police Powers and Procedures 2009/10”. The publication is available in the Library of the House and at the weblink provided as follows:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/hosb0711/
	A breakdown by police force area for 2008 can be found on page 54, table 3.01, column four of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Police Powers and Procedures 2008/09”. The publication is available in the Library of the House and at the weblink provided as follows:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb0610.pdf
	Historical data, going back to 2003 can be found on row 4, page 61, table 3b of the same publication.
	Cautions, charges and convictions data are dealt with by the Ministry of Justice in their “Criminal Statistics” publication, copies of which are available from the Library of the House and the weblink as follows:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/criminal-justice/criminal-annual.htm

English Language: Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the removal of full fee remission for students of English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Damian Green: My officials have had discussions with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about provision for students of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). A separate assessment of how the changes from full funding for ESOL courses may affect ESOL learners is currently being carried out by Department of Business, Innovation and Skills who expect to be able to publish this before summer recess.

Entry Clearances: Balkans

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to announce the results of the review of the visa regime for Serbian and Macedonian nationals visiting the UK.

Damian Green: We are currently reviewing plans for the next visa waiver test. We will consider any changes to the visitor visa regimes in Serbia and Macedonia as part of that wider process. We have no plans to make any changes to the existing visa regimes before then.

Fines: Tobacco

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been fined for bringing in excess amounts of tobacco at UK ports of entry in the last 12 months.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	Although no records are available for the number of people fined for bringing in excess tobacco at British points of entry, a total of 39,588 seizures of cigarette and hand rolling tobacco were made in 2010-11.
	Travellers who import for illicit resale in the UK are evading UK duty. Where such offences occur, the goods will be liable to forfeiture and the person involved may be liable for the duty evaded, a penalty of up to 100% of the potential lost revenue, and possibly further criminal sanctions.
	Further information is available in the “Tackling Tobacco Smuggling” strategy, launched on 27 April 2011 and available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/tackling-tobacco.htm

Illegal Immigrants

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the failure to detain or deport Mohammed Smoured.

Damian Green: Mohammed Smoured is a serious criminal and the UK Border Agency vigorously pursued his deportation from the UK. He was released from immigration detention by the courts despite strong objections from the UK Border Agency.
	The internal review that followed this case demonstrated a need to tighten up processes. Lessons have been learned and the UK Border Agency has since rolled out new training programmes and guidance to support case workers in dealing with future cases in a more timely and efficient way.

Immigrants

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to assess the (a) effect on and (b) contribution to (i) health services, (ii) education services and (iii) other services of migrants.

Damian Green: I have tasked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to research the labour market, social and public service impacts of non-EEA migration; and to advise on the use of such evidence in cost-benefit analyses of migration and policy decisions. This will provide evidence at the national level. Results from this work are expected in November 2011.
	In addition I have asked Home Office analysts to scope the feasibility of identifying and measuring the social impacts of migration at the local level. We will work with local authorities and other local services to gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges facing public sector providers in terms of how they might identify different types of migrants and measure both their cost on public services and their contribution to the local community. This research will be undertaken over the course of 2011-12.

Missing Persons

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the Missing Persons Taskforce; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has carried out an assessment of the 22 recommendations in the Missing Persons Taskforce Review. Seven have already been delivered, action is under way on a further 10 and the remainder are subject to further consideration. We are working with our counterparts in other Government Departments to consider what further action is needed in this important area, taking account of other relevant developments including, for example, the Munro Review of Child Protection and the transfer of responsibility for missing children from the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) to Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP).

Missing Persons

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the role of the police in the investigation of missing persons.

James Brokenshire: The police play an important role with regards to missing persons and are the lead agency in investigating missing persons incidents.
	Identifying and ensuring the safest return possible for children and adults who go missing forms part of the police service's child protection and wider safeguarding role.

Missing Persons

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what responsibility the proposed National Crime Agency will have for missing persons.

James Brokenshire: On 10 May my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department announced that the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) will operate as part of the new National Crime Agency (NCA) and it has previously been agreed that this role will include responsibility for missing children services. This move will ensure that CEOP will be better positioned than ever before to tackle child sexual exploitation, tackle those who seek to harm children, and develop its vital work educating children and their carers on how to protect themselves.
	Work is continuing to arrange the transfer of responsibility for missing children's services from the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) to CEOP. In turn, work is progressing to consider where responsibilities for missing adults services should sit in the future.

Offences against Children

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she plans to have with the Director of Public Prosecution on efforts to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service improves its knowledge and practice in prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation committed overseas.

James Brokenshire: The Government takes sexual offences committed against children very seriously. Section 72 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (as amended by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008) extends extra territorial jurisdiction in relation to some sex offences committed against children whilst abroad by United Kingdom nationals and in cases involving dual criminality by United Kingdom residents. However it remains the case that such offences are best prosecuted where they occur. To this end the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP), through the work of its UK and Overseas Tracker Teams and in conjunction with UK police forces and overseas law enforcement agencies, engages with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to pursue tactical options in respect of UK nationals who travel overseas and abuse and/or exploit children and to increase their mutual knowledge of child sexual abuse cases, on both a practitioner and strategic management level.
	The CPS considers every such case on its individual merits and applies the two-stage Full Code Test set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors when deciding whether to prosecute.

Offenders: Deportation

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the deportation of foreign national prisoners who are wanted for terrorist offences abroad.

Damian Green: Ministers have not had any recent discussions on the deportation of foreign national prisoners who are wanted for terrorist offences abroad. However, officials within the Home Office and Ministry of Justice are in regular contact.

Sexual Offences: EU Action

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she had had with her European counterparts on the progress of Europol's Project Haven to detect and disrupt European travelling sex offenders.

James Brokenshire: Action on combating child sex offences is a priority both domestically and at EU level. The Government have opted into the draft EU directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography which will set minimum standards for combating child sex offences across the EU. In addition, this month my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has had discussions with the Director of Europol on the issue of travelling sex offenders to consider what further co-ordinated action might be taken at EU level.
	I consider that the lessons learned from the initial phases of Project Haven were valuable, and the recommendations arising out of this and ongoing actions will be carried forward in the UK by the relevant bodies in conjunction with Europol.
	Child protection is a priority for this Government and will be further strengthened when the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) becomes a core part of the National Crime Agency.

Stop and Search

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many searches of (a) persons and (b) vehicles under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were carried out by each Metropolitan Police division in each of the last five years; and how many arrests for (i) possession of offensive weapons and (ii) other offences were made in each division as a result in each such year.

Nick Herbert: Data for the Metropolitan police on the use of this power are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Police Powers and Procedures”.
	Data are unavailable at a level below police force area. Current and previous copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Leader of the House how much his office spent on special advisers' travel by (a) Government car, (b) private hire car, (c) train, (d) bus, (e) commercial aircraft and (f) private aircraft since May 2010.

George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has not spent any money on the travel costs of my special adviser.

Electronic Government: Petitions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Leader of the House when he expects it to be possible to send an online petition to the Prime Minister via the Directgov website.

George Young: The Government will move the online petition system from the No. 10 website to the DirectGov portal before the summer recess, and I will make a statement to the House.

EU Law: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Leader of the House if he will (a) review the powers of the House of Commons to scrutinise EU Directives and (b) bring forward proposals to allow hon. Members to propose amendments to the draft regulations implementing EU Directives.

George Young: As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe noted in a written ministerial statement on 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, the Government are keen to explore new ways of scrutinising EU issues. He is in discussions with the European Scrutiny Committee and the House of Lords EU Select Committee about this. It is for Parliament to decide how it wants to take this forward with us.
	In the meantime, the Government intend to continue discussions with the European Scrutiny Committee on its terms of reference and the terms of the House's Scrutiny Reserve Resolution.

Legal Aid: Reform

Alun Cairns: To ask the Leader of the House what timetable he has set for the passage of his proposed legislation to reform legal aid.

George Young: The Government are committed to reforming the legal aid system to provide for a more efficient and sustainable scheme, in order to preserve the help available to those in our society who need it most. The Government will bring forward legislation on their proposals in due course.

HEALTH

Cardiovascular Services

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of national and local co-ordination in cardiovascular services to ensure integrated care for patients who have an acute myocardial infarction;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the provision of cardiovascular services in the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has any plans to revise guidelines on the management of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors as part of NHS reforms.

Simon Burns: It is for local national health service commissioners to ensure that there is integrated care available for patients who have an acute myocardial infarction. They need to assess their local population needs to determine the range and level of service provision required in their area.
	There is a range of information publicly available to assist NHS commissioners to understand their local population needs and benchmark local services, including:
	Local Cardiovascular Profiles—The South East Public Health Observatory has published cardiovascular profiles at regional and primary care trust level. These are intended to inform commissioning and planning decisions and enable commissioners to target resources most effectively to tackle cardiovascular disease and improve the health of local communities. They can be found at:
	www.sepho.org.uk/CVDprofiles.aspx
	The Central Cardiac Audit Database offers information to help health professionals and commissioners to continually measure and improve care by comparing their services to specific standards and national trends. Information about this can be found at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/services/national-clinical-audit-support-programme-ncasp/heart-disease
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance to the NHS on the management of a number of conditions associated with cardiovascular disease. NICE routinely reviews its published guidance. A NICE Quality Standard on heart failure is expected to be published in June 2011.
	Further information about NICE Quality Standards is available on the institute's website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/qualitystandards/qualitystandards.jsp

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure provision of specialist services for myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome is maintained.

Paul Burstow: Primary care professionals coordinate the services that patients receive, helping them to navigate the system and ensure they get the best care. For this reason, they are best placed to coordinate those aspects of commissioning of care that will most benefit from their clinical insight and expertise, while involving all other clinical professionals who are also part of any pathway of care.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the proposed closure of the specialist inpatient service for myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome at Queen's hospital, Romford; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Department has received numerous representations on the proposed closure of the specialist inpatient service for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) at Queen's hospital, Romford. It is for the local national health service to provide services which best serve the needs of its local population.
	The Department is not prescriptive about the type of services that should be provided by the local NHS for CFS/ME patients. However trusts must adhere to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines:
	Every person diagnosed with CFS/ME should be offered:
	information about the illness
	acceptance and understanding
	assistance negotiating the healthcare, benefits and social care systems
	assistance with occupational activities including work and
	education if appropriate
	An individualised management plan should be developed with the person with CFS/ME, and their carers if appropriate. The plan should be reviewed and changes documented at each contact. It should include:
	relevant symptoms and history
	plans for care and treatment, including managing setbacks/relapses
	information and support needs
	any education, training or employment support needs
	details of the healthcare professionals involved in care and their contact details.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Training

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that training in myalgic encephalomyelitis is included in all pre and post-registration training of health care professionals.

Anne Milton: The content and standard of health care training is the responsibility of the independent regulatory bodies.
	Through their role as the custodians of quality standards in education and practice, these organisations are committed to ensuring high quality patient care delivered by high quality health professionals and that health care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with the problems and conditions they will encounter in practice.

Continuing Care

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people in each primary care trust were in receipt of NHS continuing health care funding in 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in receipt of NHS continuing health care in each primary care trust have had such funding withdrawn in the last 12 months; how many had such funding reinstated on appeal; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will assess the potential effects on the National Framework for NHS continuing health care of the proposed reforms to the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Information on the number of people in receipt of continuing health care, in December 2010, broken down by primary care trust (PCT) is given in the following table.
	
		
			 2010-11, quarter 3 
			 Organisation code Organisation name Number 
			 5D7 Newcastle PCT 157 
			 5D8 North Tyneside PCT 183 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 116 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 294 
			 5J9 Darlington PCT 250 
			 5KF Gateshead PCT 197 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT 165 
			 5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 512 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 105 
			 5ND County Durham PCT 806 
			 5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 60 
			 TAC Northumberland Care Trust 566 
			 5CC/TAP Blackburn and Darwen PCT/Teaching Care Plus 54 
			 5F5 Salford PCT 309 
			 5F7 Stockport PCT 263 
			 5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 440 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 76 
			 5HQ Bolton PCT 337 
			 5J2 Warrington PCT 182 
			 5J4 Knowsley PCT 220 
			 5J5 Oldham PCT 268 
			 5JX Bury PCT 98 
			 5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 185 
			 5NE Cumbria PCT 457 
			 5NF North Lancashire PCT 455 
			 5NG Central Lancashire PCT 378 
			 5NH East Lancashire Teaching PCT 236 
			 5NJ Sefton PCT 199 
			 5NK Wirral PCT 249 
			 5NL Liverpool PCT 437 
			 5NM Halton and St Helens PCT 398 
			 5NN Western Cheshire PCT 147 
			 5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 376 
			 5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 127 
			 5NR Trafford PCT 98 
			 5NT Manchester PCT 419 
			 5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 174 
			 5H8 Rotherham PCT 287 
			 5J6 Calderdale PCT 257 
			 5JE Barnsley PCT 307 
			 5N1 Leeds PCT 835 
			 5N2 Kirklees PCT 478 
			 5N3 Wakefield District PCT 206 
			 5N4 Sheffield PCT 1,255 
			 5N5 Doncaster PCT 425 
			 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 1,063 
			 5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 206 
			 5NX Hull Teaching PCT 399 
		
	
	
		
			 5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 528 
			 TAN North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 222 
			 5EM Nottingham City PCT 175 
			 5ET Bassetlaw PCT 69 
			 5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 810 
			 5N7 Derby City PCT 222 
			 5N8 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 557 
			 5N9 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 869 
			 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 764 
			 5PC Leicester City PCT 373 
			 5PD Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 716 
			 5CN Herefordshire PCT 307 
			 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 341 
			 5M2 Shropshire County PCT 447 
			 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 337 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 384 
			 5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 209 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 354 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 189 
			 5PE Dudley PCT 169 
			 5PF Sandwell PCT 137 
			 5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 563 
			 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 249 
			 5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 231 
			 5PK South Staffordshire PCT 468 
			 5PL Worcestershire PCT 411 
			 5PM Warwickshire PCT 753 
			 TAM Solihull Care Trust 315 
			 5GC Luton PCT 91 
			 5P1 South East Essex PCT 420 
			 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 155 
			 5PN Peterborough PCT 255 
			 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 392 
			 5PQ Norfolk PCT 658 
			 5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 311 
			 5PT Suffolk PCT 737 
			 5PV West Essex PCT 258 
			 5PW North East Essex PCT 145 
			 5PX Mid Essex PCT 110 
			 5PY South West Essex PCT 452 
			 5QV Hertfordshire PCT 743 
			 5A4 Havering PCT 219 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 175 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 335 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 173 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 332 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 234 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 267 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 370 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 150 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 212 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 290 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 353 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 125 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 320 
			 5HY Hounslow PCT 204 
		
	
	
		
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 242 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 196 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 238 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 125 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 372 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 215 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 169 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 227 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 156 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 133 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 148 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 95 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 333 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 308 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 307 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 169 
			 5L3 Medway PCT 133 
			 5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 129 
			 5P5 Surrey PCT 935 
			 5P6 West Sussex PCT 626 
			 5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 420 
			 5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 101 
			 5P9 West Kent PCT 539 
			 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 995 
			 5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 121 
			 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 270 
			 5L1 Southampton City PCT 201 
			 5QC Hampshire PCT 857 
			 5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 552 
			 5QE Oxfordshire PCT 290 
			 5QF Berkshire West PCT 164 
			 5QG Berkshire East PCT 333 
			 5QT Isle of Wight NHS PCT 222 
			 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 230 
			 5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 470 
			 5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 193 
			 5K3 Swindon PCT 129 
			 5M8 North Somerset PCT 211 
			 5QH Gloucestershire PCT 623 
			 5QJ Bristol PCT 368 
			 5QK Wiltshire PCT 490 
			 5QL Somerset PCT 600 
			 5QM Dorset PCT 426 
			 5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 318 
			 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 978 
			 5QQ Devon PCT 864 
			 TAL Torbay Care Trust 184 
		
	
	Information on the number of people in receipt of continuing health care who have had their funding withdrawn is not collected centrally.
	It is anticipated that there will be no changes to the sections of the framework covering the eligibility criteria for continuing health care. However, the sections covering the statutory powers of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities will be rewritten to reflect the proposed reforms which will move these powers to general practitioner consortia and the NHS Commissioning Board respectively.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional pay he plans to provide to officials in his Department in the period from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013 to reflect (a) seniority, (b) promotion and (c) performance.

Simon Burns: For the period in question, the only officials in the Department eligible for base pay increases are those earning under £21,000. The Department's pay systems are performance-related and do not reward staff for seniority.
	The provision of pay for promotion will depend on the number of promotions which take place in the period in question, which is difficult to predict. Staff would normally receive a 10% pay uplift following promotion to the next grade. The Department usually operates promotion gateways or boards, but these are currently suspended while the Department works through the implications of its transition programme.
	These promotions will be strictly controlled and are likely to be few in number in the current climate. Numbers of promotions cannot be predicted in advance as they are dependent on contingent business needs. The arrangements for non-consolidated performance-related pay for non-senior civil service staff are subject to the Treasury's annual civil service pay guidance. The overall ‘pot’ of money set aside for this will not increase in 2011-12 nor in 2012-13. Non-consolidated performance-related pay for senior civil service (SCS) staff is determined within a framework set by the Cabinet Office. The overall ‘pot’ for such awards will decrease in 2011-12.
	The two-year pay freeze for the SCS started in April 2010 and for the rest of the Department's civil servants (the integrated structure, i.e. grades administrative officer to grade 6) this freeze will start in August 2011.

Diseases: Health Services

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his proposed NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for commissioning services for rare diseases.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill sets out the intention for the NHS Commissioning Board to take responsibility for the commissioning of specialised services for very rare conditions. These specialised services are currently commissioned at both a national and regional level.

Diseases: Health Services

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of the treatment of rare diseases in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally by the Department.

Diseases: Research

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has made changes to the methodology for assessing disease-specific research and development spending in the last five years.

Simon Burns: Recent figures for disease-specific research and development (R and D) spend reflect a more transparent and accurate method for assessing this expenditure.
	Prior to the establishment of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in April 2006, the main part of the Department's total health expenditure was devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. From April 2006 to March 2009, transitional research funding was allocated to these organisations at reducing levels. At the same time, an increasing amount of NHS research funding was awarded competitively through new NIHR programmes and schemes. The NHS organisations reported on their use of these allocations in annual R and D reports, and each report included figures for research spend in a range of disease areas. These figures have been included in any estimates made by the Department of total annual research spend in these disease areas up to 2008-09.
	The Department is increasing its routine monitoring of NIHR expenditure across all therapeutic areas.

e-Cigarettes

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the use of e-cigarettes.

Anne Milton: In March 2011, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published the Government's response to the consultation on the regulation of nicotine-containing products, which includes e-cigarettes. The MHRA also announced that it will co-ordinate a period of further scientific and market research to inform decisions about the regulation of nicotine-containing products.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities require the fluoridation of their local water supply.

Anne Milton: Although the Health and Social Care Bill proposes that responsibility for consultations on proposals for fluoridation schemes should transfer to local authorities, currently strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for contracting with water companies to fluoridate water supplies. Therefore, the information held centrally on which areas are fluoridated is by SHA/primary care trust (PCT) as in the following table:
	
		
			 SHA/PCT Percentage of population with fluoridated water supply 
			 East of England SHA  
			 Bedford PCT 100 
			   
			 West Midlands SHA  
			 Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT 91 
			 North Warwickshire PCT 100 
			 South Warwickshire PCT 68 
			 Rugby PCT 100 
			 South Worcestershire PCT 32 
			 Coventry PCT 85 
			 Castle and Beacon PCT 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Dudley South PCT 61 
			 South Birmingham PCT 100 
			 Solihull PCT 100 
			 Wednesbury and West Bromwich PCT 100 
			 North Birmingham PCT 100 
			 Rowley Regis and Tipton PCT 100 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 100 
			 Walsall Area PCT 100 
			 Oldbury and Smethwick PCT 100 
			 East Birmingham PCT 100 
			 Heart of Birmingham PCT 100 
			 Cannock Chase PCT 100 
			 East Staffordshire PCT 100 
			 South West Staffordshire PCT 53 
			 Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT 100 
			   
			 East Midlands SHA  
			 West Lincolnshire PCT 100 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 100 
			 Ashfield PCT 100 
			 Mansfield PCT 100 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA  
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 75 
			   
			 North East SHA  
			 North Tyneside PCT (1)50 + 50 
			 Gateshead PCT (2)100 
			 Newcastle PCT 100 
			 Hartlepool PCT 100 
			   
			 North West SHA  
			 Central Cheshire PCT 52 
			 West Cumbria PCX 100 
			 (1) Variable low. (2) Virtually.

General Practitioners

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of geographical boundaries determining eligibility for GP registration following the implementation of his plans for GP commissioning.

Simon Burns: The Government’s health reforms aim to put patients at the heart of the national health service by giving them more choice and control over their health care, including the ability to choose their general practitioner (GP) practice.
	The current system of geographical boundaries can restrict patients’ ability to register with a GP practice which meets their needs and aspirations. The White Paper “Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS” committed to give every patient a clear right to choose to register with any GP practice they want with an open list, without being restricted by where they live. A national consultation showed overwhelming support from the public for this flexibility, with over 70% of the public who commented in favour. We are currently considering issues raised in the consultation and will discuss with the profession in the normal way any proposed changes to existing arrangements.

Health Services: Prisoners

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on the provision of health services to prisoners of the implementation of proposed reforms to commissioning in the NHS.

Paul Burstow: The Government are currently pausing, listening and reflecting to improve plans regarding the Health and Social Care Bill. The Bill proposes that the NHS Commissioning Board will bring about considerable reform to the national health service and have a direct impact as to how services for the offender population may be delivered and received in future.
	Offenders are entitled to expect, and receive, the same quality of treatments and services from the NHS as anyone else. The NHS is—and must remain—about equitable service provision for all citizens, not least offenders.
	We need robust offender health and criminal justice programmes in place. The public expects this and improved health and well-being outcomes for offenders will come from reducing health inequalities and reoffending through prevention, early intervention and having effective diversion from custody services.

Health Services: Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners have been granted access to private health care services paid from (a) private means and (b) the public purse in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not collect this information.
	The commissioning of prison health care transferred from the Prison Service to the national health service in 2006. It is the responsibility of local NHS primary care trusts to commission and provide services for their offender population.

Heart Diseases: Children

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the Safe and Sustainable review issued by the NHS Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts.

Simon Burns: The Safe and Sustainable review of children’s heart services in England is being conducted by the NHS Specialised Commissioning Team. The Department has therefore made no estimate of the cost of the review.
	The programme is ongoing so costs are still being incurred, and will be incurred up to the decision later this year. The intention is to publish the final costs once the process is complete.

Heart Diseases: Rehabilitation

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the availability in the NHS of cardiac rehabilitation for people after they have had a heart attack; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department has not made an assessment of the availability in the national health service of cardiac rehabilitation for people after they have had a heart attack. It is a matter for NHS organisations to plan and develop services based on their specific local knowledge and expertise.
	Information on cardiac rehabilitation services is available in the latest National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation's (NACR) annual report which can be found on NACR's website:
	www.cardiacrehabilitation.org.uk/nacr/docs/2010.pdf
	There is also a range of information publicly available to assist NHS commissioners, including a commissioning pack which can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/Browsable/DH_117504

Hepatitis: Scotland

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Executive on the Scottish public inquiry into hepatitis C/HIV acquired infections from NHS treatment in Scotland involving contaminated blood and blood products.

Anne Milton: We have had no discussions about the inquiry with Scottish Ministers. The Department is co-operating with the inquiry team and has responded to a number of requests from the inquiry for copies of relevant official documents.

National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse: Public Appointments

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who he plans to appoint to conduct the peer review of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse and the National Addiction Centre; and who will be responsible for the selection of the peer review panel reports on addiction to prescribed over-the-counter medicines.

Anne Milton: Departmental officials appointed three independent experts with international reputations in the fields of pain management, addiction and pharmacy to peer review the draft reports on addiction to medicine that were commissioned by. the Department. In order to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the peer review process, the identity of peer reviewers is not disclosed.
	The peer-reviewed reports were published on 11 May. Copies have already been placed in the Library.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his planned system of value-based pricing for medicines will include medicines for the treatment of rare diseases; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: We set out our proposals for a new value-based approach to the pricing of medicines in the consultation document, “A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines”. The consultation which closed on 17 March 2011, stated in Paragraph 4.4,
	“As we develop and refine the value-based pricing model, we will pay particular, careful attention to the potential impact on special groups of medicines. It may be appropriate to apply slightly different arrangements to some medicines, as is the case now. For example, some drugs that treat very rare conditions are currently funded through the arrangements for the national commissioning of specialised services. However, the presumption will be towards designing the system in a way that minimises the need for parallel mechanisms.”
	Through the consultation we sought views on whether there are types or groups of medicines, for example, those that treat very rare conditions, which should be better dealt with through separate arrangements outside value-based pricing.
	We are considering the consultation responses and will publish our response to the consultation in due course.

Organs: Donors

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the report of the arm’s-length bodies review, what plans his Department has for the regulation of live donor organ transplants currently regulated by the Human Tissue Authority.

Anne Milton: One of the principal aims of the arm's length bodies review is to streamline and simplify regulation. To help achieve this, our preferred option is to transfer all of the functions of the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) to the Care Quality Commission apart from any research-related functions, which the proposed Health Research Authority may take on. The Government will be consulting in the late summer on this and other options as to where functions currently carried out by the HTA would best sit in the future.

Patients: Transport

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent misuse of hospital transport by those who do not have a valid medical reason to use the service.

Simon Burns: The Department has issued clear eligibility guidance for the use of non-emergency patient transport services (PTS) that makes clear that PTS should only be awarded to those patients with a medical need for transportation. It is for the national health service to determine locally a patient’s eligibility for PTS either by a health care professional or by non-clinically qualified staff who are both:
	clinically supervised and/or working within locally agreed protocols or guidelines; and
	employed by the NHS or working under contract for the NHS.

Primary Care Trusts: Birmingham

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has prepared a risk assessment for the proposed reorganisation of the NHS in the Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust area.

Simon Burns: The Department conducted an impact assessment alongside the Health and Social Care Bill. This estimates the effects of the modernisation at national level, and includes discussion of the risks and how they can be mitigated. We do not have a regional breakdown of these predicted effects. The impact assessment is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_123583
	and a copy has already been placed in the Library.

Smoking

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the smoking prevalence rate is in Crewe and Nantwich constituency.

Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested. The Department does not hold information on smoking prevalence at constituency or primary care trust level.
	Information on prevalence of cigarette smoking by sex, country, and Government office region of England in 1998 to 2009 is contained within Table 1.11 of the General Lifestyle Survey ‘Smoking and Drinking among adults, 2009’, published by the Office for National Statistics. This publication is available on the Office for National Statistics website at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/GLF09/GeneralLifestyleSurvey2009.pdf
	A copy of this publication has already been placed in the Library.
	Table 3.1a of ‘Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2009’ shows smoking behaviour among young people aged 11 to 15 by sex for the period 1982 to 2000. Table 3.1b shows the same information for the period 2001-09. These data are available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/sdd09fullreport
	A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.

South London Healthcare NHS Trust: Restructure

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 April 2011, Official Report, column 842W, on South London Healthcare NHS Trust: restructure, what representations he has received on the potential restructuring of South London Healthcare NHS Trust since January 2011.

Simon Burns: Further to my written answer of 5 April 2011, Official Report, column 842W, a search has been made of the Department of Health correspondence database between 1 January 2011 to 13 May 2011 which has found five items of correspondence.
	One letter has been received from the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire), three letters from my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr Evennett), and one from a constituent of his.

Tattooing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the merits of establishing a nationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for the tattooing and piercing industries; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: We have no plans to establish a national training and accreditation scheme for the tattooing and cosmetic piercing industries. Practitioners, their professional organisations, industry bodies, training bodies and enforcement authorities are best placed to work together to agree on suitable standards of good practice and competency.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Coal Gasification

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's policy is on coal gasification as an alternative fuel source.

Charles Hendry: The potential of underground coal gasification (UGC) is recognised and it could make an important contribution in future, but the technology for UGC is still in its early stages.
	As the freehold owner of the coal resource, our non-departmental public body, the Coal Authority, has lead responsibility with respect to the licensing of potential UGC projects. Along with the authority we continue to monitor developments in the sector.

Energy: Housing

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the use of data matching for the purposes of targeting energy efficiency measures at priority households other than pensioners.

Gregory Barker: DECC and DWP Ministers and officials are working closely together on data matching as an important part of the policy development and planning for the Core Group of the Warm Home Discount Scheme. The scheme will involve data matching DWP pension credit data with energy suppliers' customer data to give recipients a rebate on their energy bills. This follows the successful delivery of the pilot 2010 Energy Rebate Scheme (ERS), which led to over 200,000 older poorer pensioners receiving a discount of £80 off their electricity bill.
	Data matching for the Core Group of Warm Home Discount will involve a significantly larger client group than that used for ERS. This will lead to significant technical, security, operational and policy challenges. To seek to expand the scope of data matching before evaluating this wider use of existing powers would constitute a significant delivery risk.
	In addition, the Government are currently developing proposals for a fundamental reform of the working age benefits regime. The additional groups proposed for data marching by respondents to the Warm Home Discount consultation are likely to change significantly. We need to ensure that any further data matching powers would be durable and deliverable.
	The Government are not considering widening data matching powers at this stage.

CABINET OFFICE

Businesses: Transition Fund

Edward Timpson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many organisations in Crewe and Nantwich constituency have applied for an allocation from the Transition Fund.

Nick Hurd: There were no applications to the Transition Fund from organisations in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency.

Charities

Sam Gyimah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office by what date he expects his review of the Charities Act 2006 to be completed.

Nick Hurd: A person must be appointed before 8 November 2011 to undertake an independent review of the Charities Act 2006, as required under section 73 of that Act. The timetable for the review itself has not been finalised, but the review is likely to take between six and nine months, concluding in 2012. Once completed, the report of the review must be laid before Parliament.

Charities: Higher Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the potential changes to charity law in connection with the ability of public schools to sponsor off-quota places at universities.

Nick Hurd: The forthcoming Higher Education White Paper will consult on options for introducing off-quota recruitment. Following the consultation there will be discussions between ministerial colleagues on taking forward any proposed options, including any changes to the law that are considered necessary.

Citizenship: Young People

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which National Citizen Service pilot projects charge participants to take part; and how much each such project charges per participant.

Nick Hurd: 12 providers are running National Citizen Service (NCS) pilots in 2011. The NCS pilot programme aims to test a range of different approaches to the delivery of the core NCS programme. One of the dimensions we are seeking to test is the impact of levying a small charge on participants. Half of the 2011 pilot providers are levying a charge for participation while the other half are not. Those providers levying a charge offer a range of discounts and bursaries, and are required to ensure that financial cost is not a barrier to participation for any young person who wishes to take part. The maximum charges by NCS provider are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Pilot provider Charge? Maximum charge (£) 
			 Bolton Lads and Girls Club Yes 20 
			 Catch22 Yes 50 
			 Challenge Network Yes 50 
			 Connexions Cumbria No — 
			 Field Studies Council Yes 95 
			 Football League Trust Yes 50 
		
	
	
		
			 Lincolnshire and Rutland EBP No — 
			 Norfolk NCS Consortium Yes 99 
			 Prince's Trust No — 
			 Safe in Tees Valley No — 
			 V and Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust No — 
			 Young Devon and South West Consortium No —

Citizenship: Young People

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the average amount that a young person will pay to participate in a National Citizen Service pilot.

Nick Hurd: Over 4,400 National Citizen Service pilot places in 2011 will be offered by providers levying no charge for participants. The remainder of places will be offered according to each provider's fee scale, which in all cases allow for discounts and bursaries according to participants' ability to pay. Since so many participants will not pay a fee to participate, it is not appropriate to estimate the average amount payable per participant, but the range of maximum fees levied by those pilots charging a fee is between £20 and £99. Those providers levying a charge offer a range of discounts and bursaries, and are required to ensure that financial cost is not a barrier to participation for any young person who wishes to take part.
	In all cases the fee charged for participation is a small proportion of the total cost of providing a National Citizen Service place.

Graduates: Unemployment

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of graduate unemployment is in (a) England, (b) Liverpool and (c) Liverpool West, Derby constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck dated May 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the rate of graduate unemployment is in (a) England, (b) Liverpool and (c) Liverpool West, Derby constituency. (55590)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Unfortunately the sample size does not support analyses of graduate unemployment for Liverpool and Liverpool West, Derby constituency.
	Unemployment rates are normally based on the proportion of economically active aged 16 and over who are unemployed. However, questions on qualifications are not asked of all people above state pension age. Therefore the analysis has been restricted to those aged between 16 and 64 years.
	According to APS figures, the rate of graduate unemployment for people aged 16 to 64 years, in England for the 12 month period January to December 2009 was 4.3%.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Public Sector: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether outsourced services solely funded by the public purse will be subject to the public sector pay differential proposals.

Francis Maude: Even where outsourced services are funded solely by the public purse, the organisations providing these contracted services are mostly private sector entities and they are not funded entirely from the public purse. Therefore, while the contract terms for service provision fall within the scope of the Government’s procurement activity, the structure and remuneration of the private sector staff does not and is a matter for individual companies.

Voluntary Organisations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent progress the ministerial working group on the big society has made; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The informal ministerial group on big society and localism shares ideas and supports progress across government on cross-cutting issues such as the role of the voluntary sector in service delivery, the progress of the big society in vanguard areas, community budgets, and the compact between the voluntary sector and the state.
	Progress on the big society is already taking shape, with 21 mutual pathfinders across public services, 12 organisations already appointed to run the 2011 National Citizen Service pilots, and new ideas on giving and volunteering in the Giving Green Paper.

JUSTICE

Criminal Justice System

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to increase the efficiency of the criminal justice system.

Kenneth Clarke: I am working closely with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Attorney-General to develop proposals to tackle inefficiency, so that we can have a more productive criminal justice system. Examples of these include streamlining the administration of cases; making greater use of video-links; and extending digital working. I will bring detailed plans to the House later this year.

Legal Aid Reform

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish the response to his Department's consultation on the reform of legal aid.

Jonathan Djanogly: We intend to publish the response to consultation as soon as possible after Whitsun recess.

Legal Aid: Funding

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in the legal aid budget on the availability of legal advice for those on low incomes in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Jonathan Djanogly: We published impact assessments alongside the consultation paper. However, these do not contain analysis of any specific geographies.

Restorative Justice

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the use of restorative justice to reduce the level of offending; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: We are committed to increasing use of restorative justice. It makes offenders face up to the consequences of their crime, and provides victims the opportunity to seek reparation and move on from the crime they have suffered. There is growing evidence of its potential to cut reoffending and crime.

Sentencing: Crime Rates

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects on crime rates of (a) community sentences and (b) custodial sentences.

Crispin Blunt: We published on 10 May 2011 a report comparing adult reoffending rates for different types of sentence. This showed that offenders who received sentences of less than 12 months had higher reoffending rates than similar offenders who received community orders. When specifically comparing different lengths of custodial sentence for similar offenders, longer sentences had lower reoffending rates.

Charter of Fundamental Rights (EU)

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government was represented at the Fourth Meeting of the Fundamental Rights Platform held by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in April 2011.

Kenneth Clarke: The Fundamental Rights Platform of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is a network of civil society and non-governmental organisations active in the field of fundamental rights. Government representatives do not normally attend meetings of the platform and therefore the Government were not represented at the meeting.

Custody: Death

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to reduce the waiting time for inquests into deaths in custody.

Jonathan Djanogly: The coroner’s inquest into a death in custody is the hearing which fulfils our obligations under article 2 of the European convention on human rights. Few such inquests take place until all other investigations have been completed. From 2012, we will be publishing data on the number of deaths in each category of custody in the annual statistics on deaths reported to coroners which will provide greater transparency about these inquests. The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody and the Coroners’ Society of England and Wales are also working together to develop a series of recommendations to address inquest delays. We are also committed to improving the coroner system and intend to achieve this through implementation of key provisions within part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. Subject to parliamentary agreement, this will include removing rigid geographical boundary restrictions so that inquests can be transferred between coroners more easily to tackle and avoid delays.

Departmental Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanism his Department has established to ensure its payments are passed through the supply chain to each tier in accordance with the last date for payment defined in the Government's Fair Payment guidance.

Crispin Blunt: In line with the Government’s fair payment guidance the Ministry of Justice has included a clause within its terms and conditions of contract requiring contractors to enter a clause in any subcontracts to ensure that the prompt payment provisions are passed through the supply chain. The clause is reproduced as follows.
	1.1. Where the Contractor enters into a sub-contract with a supplier or contractor for the purpose of performing its obligations under the Contract, it shall ensure that a provision is included in such a sub-contract which requires payment to be made of all sums due by the Contractor to the sub-contractor within a specified period not exceeding 30 days from the receipt of a valid invoice provided always that the Contractor has been paid by the Authority.
	Compliance with this requirement is monitored in the course of routine contract management.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the name is of each contractor or supplier of (a) mobile telephone and (b) mobile data services to his Department.

Kenneth Clarke: There are several suppliers:
	Her Majesty's Prison Service: (a) HP provides services using Orange, Vodafone, and O2 for mobile telephony, (b) HP provides services using O2 and Vodafone to provide mobile data as the network suppliers.
	Probation Services: Steria provide services through Vodafone.
	Outside of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), Vodafone and Orange provide both mobile telephony and mobile data for MOJ's Disc Infrastructure Renewal Programme. This includes the arm’s length bodies (ALBs), (although ALBs will probably have their own legacy mobile contracts).

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many independent domestic violence adviser posts funded in whole or in part by his Department are based in voluntary organisations.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice is funding 33 voluntary organisations which between them will provide 44 dedicated court-based independent domestic violence advisers to support victims of domestic abuse. This funding stems from the Victim and Witness General Fund, announced in January 2011 and will last for three years.
	In addition to this, 28 services providing 30 advisers for victims in specialist domestic violence court systems will be funded during 2011-2012. This funding stems from the Victim Surcharge. Most of these grants are paid to local authorities employing voluntary services to provide the adviser post.

Driving Offences

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of motorists involved in an incident leading to the (a) death and (b) serious injury of a cyclist received (i) a custodial sentence, (ii) a fine, (iii) a community service order and (iv) another sentence in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: It is not possible to identify from prosecutions for motoring offences involving the death or injury of a person, those cases where the victim was a cyclist. Data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice do not include information about the circumstances of each case other than those which may be identified from a statute

Legal Advice and Assistance: Mental Health

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether family law matter starts will be redistributed among providers who are running out of matter starts and may not be in a position to represent patients who are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and who ask for their services.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales.
	The LSC regularly reviews provider capacity and matter start allocations. In the event of gaps in access being identified in any category of law, including mental health, the LSC will take appropriate action to address these, taking into account the specific circumstances of the geographic area.
	Matter starts for family work cannot be used for mental health cases. Therefore there will be no redistribution of matter starts from family to mental health.

Legal Aid

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received legal aid services in (a) Barnsley Central constituency and (b) South Yorkshire in 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales.
	The LSC does not record the number of people who receive legal aid, but instead records the number of ‘acts of assistance’. One individual may receive a number of separate acts of assistance, and one act of assistance can help more than one person.
	The following table shows the number of acts of assistance delivered by legal aid providers with postcodes falling within Barnsley Central constituency during 2009-10. All acts of assistance are based on the solicitor’s location, which may not reflect where the client is based. The figures do not include legal aid received via telephone, the housing possession court duty scheme, or family mediation, as these figures are not available on a constituency level.
	
		
			 Assistance type Number 
			 Crime Lower claims 3,851 
			 Legal Help New Matter Starts 2,445 
			 Civil Representation certificates issued 656 
			 Crime Higher closed cases 602 
		
	
	The LSC is currently collating data relating to South Yorkshire. I will write to the hon. Member once the information has been verified and place a copy in the Library of the House.

Legal Aid

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil legal aid acts of assistance there were in Warrington North constituency for each type of case in the last year for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: There were no civil acts of assistance delivered by legal aid providers with postcodes falling within Warrington North constituency during 2009-10. All acts of assistance are based on the provider's location, which may not reflect where the client is based. Figures for legal aid received via telephone, the Housing Possession Court Duty scheme, or family mediation, are not available on a constituency level.

Legal Aid: Mental Health

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which mental health providers of legal aid contracts have failed their key performance indicator review; and what the outcome was of those reviews;
	(2)  whether key performance indicator reviews have been carried out in respect of those mental health providers of legal aid contracts which are unlikely to use 80% of their family law matters starts in the current contract period.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales.
	The LSC does not hold the information requested. Review of performance as measured by key performance indicators in the relevant contract is continuous rather than at set stages. The current round of contracts commenced in November 2010 and therefore performance under those contracts is still at a relatively early stage.
	The LSC works collaboratively with providers in the event of any concerns, taking into account individual circumstances, and with an emphasis on improving performance rather than sanctions.

Prison Sentences

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to his Department's 2011 compendium of re-offending statistics and analysis, page 16, if he will draw to the attention of the Sentencing Council the finding in respect of re-offending of (a) offenders given immediate custodial sentences of two years or more but less than four years and (b) offenders who received immediate custodial sentences of one year or more but less than two years.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice already makes available a wide range of data on sentencing and offender management to the Sentencing Council. This covers both published statistics, including the compendium of re-offending statistics, and data to support the council's statutory duty to have regard to the cost of different sentences and their relative effectiveness in preventing reoffending.

Prisoners’ Release

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to review the Parole Board’s process for determining when individuals serving an indeterminate public protection sentence should be released.

Crispin Blunt: On 7 December 2010 we published proposals in the Green Paper, “Breaking the Cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders”, for public consultation. These proposals included the reform of sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPPs).
	As now, offenders who have completed their minimum term will still have to undergo a risk assessment before being considered for release and the Parole Board will consider whether each individual case is suitable for release on licence. We are, however, exploring whether a new test for those who have served their punishment would focus indefinite imprisonment on those who clearly pose a very serious risk of future harm. These proposals have been published on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	www.justice.gov.uk
	Consultation ended on 4 March 2011; the Government’s response will be published shortly.

Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many unauthorised items were confiscated from prisoners in each prison in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many (a) mobile phones, (b) knives and other unauthorised sharp instruments, (c) items containing alcohol, (d) pornographic materials and (e) drugs have been confiscated from prisoners in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Items confiscated from prisoners are recorded on the Prison Service Incident Reporting System but in a format that cannot readily be interrogated electronically. To provide the information requested would involve the manual inspection of more than 79,000 incident records for the five financial years concerned which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Film

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of providing licences from (a) the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation and (b) Filmbank for the public performance of films in prison establishments in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what the cost to the public purse was of providing audio and visual entertainment to prisoners in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public was of purchasing (a) DVDs, (b) CDs, (c) televisions, (d) audio playback equipment and (e) other entertainment equipment for use by prisoners in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  what the cost to the public purse was of the purchase of television licences for the prison establishment in each of the last 10 years.

Crispin Blunt: The current National Offender Management Service (NOMS) accounting system was introduced in the fiscal year 2005-06; to interrogate records before this time would be at disproportionate cost.
	NOMS has purchased a single national licence from Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) since 2006-07 and from Filmbank since 2007-08. Prior to those dates, only limited local licences were purchased.
	Establishment licence costs from the public purse for MPLC and Filmbank are as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Fiscal year 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 MPLC 411.25 264,333.87 280,697.64 297,805.18 300,613.80 316,628.61 
			 Filmbank 440.64 88.13 39,715.00 39,773.75 39,100.00 46,882.50 
		
	
	Costs for these licences are being phased out and are restricted to those establishments still awaiting digital switchover. The switchover will be completed during 2012 and is being financed from prisoner in-cell television payments.
	Costs from the public purse for providing audio and visual entertainment to prisoners, specifically, DVDs, CDs, televisions, audio playback equipment and other entertainment equipment are not separately identifiable within the NOMS accounting system, as there is not a specific account code for this type of purchase. The cost of providing televisions in cells is met from the weekly payments made by prisoners who are eligible for this privilege and choose to have a television in their cells.
	In-cell television is exempt from the TV licence. Some establishments have televisions in public and/or staff areas for which a single licence per establishment is required. No central record is held of how many establishments have a licence.

Restraint Techniques

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to revise the national control and restraint guidelines for the prison service following the recommendations by the coroner in the Godfrey Moyo inquest.

Crispin Blunt: The coroner in the inquest of Mr Godfrey Moyo made a report to the Ministry of Justice under Coroner's Rule 43 asking for consideration to be given by the National Offender Management Service to reviewing the medical arrangements for prisoners with epilepsy and the response of discipline staff to prisoners who have suffered an epileptic seizure.
	National Control and Restraint (C&R) policy and training provides extensive guidance on how to identify warning signs during C&R which might indicate that a prisoner is experiencing a medical emergency. Work is under way with medical advisers and organisations such as Epilepsy Action to make this guidance and training even more comprehensive.
	C&R is used in all prison and young offender institutions. It is an important tool in maintaining control and order and for the protection of prisoners, staff and visitors. There were in excess of 16,000 incidents requiring the use of C&R in 2010. Despite the death of Mr Moyo in 2005, it has proved to be a very safe system for enabling violent and dangerous prisoners to be restrained while minimising the risk of injury to staff or prisoners.

Tribunal Service

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average waiting time for a hearing in each part of the Tribunal Service was (a) on the latest date for which information is available and (b) in May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: There are, including the Upper Tribunal Chambers, 31 tribunal jurisdictions within Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). To provide the average waiting time for each of these could be done only at disproportionate cost. The three largest jurisdictions within HMCTS, social security and child support (SSCS), immigration and asylum, and employment tribunals accounted for 92% of receipts for the business year 2009-10. The following table shows the average waiting for these jurisdictions. The latest date for which information is available is December 2010.
	
		
			 Average waiting time for social security and child support, immigration and asylum, and employment tribunals, May 2010 and December 2010 
			 Average time in weeks 
			  May 2010  (1) December 2010  (1) 
			 Social Security and Child Support(2) 16.8 19.0 
			 Immigration and Asylum(3) 17.4 11.8 
			 Employment Tribunals(4) 31.4 29.0 
			 (1) In month. (2) Average time from date of receipt in HMCTS to date of first hearing. Not all cases heard. (3) Average time from date of receipt in HMCTS to date of first substantive hearing. (4) Average taken from date of receipt of claim in HMCTS to date of first hearing. These data refer to both single claims (involving only one claimant) and multiple cases where two or more people bring cases involving one or more jurisdictions usually against a single employer. 
		
	
	Waiting times within the SSCS jurisdiction have been increasing due to recent changes in the welfare benefit system. This explains why the average waiting time from receipt of the appeal at the SSCS to the first hearing has increased from 16.8 weeks in May 2010 to 19.0 weeks in December 2010. The SSCS Tribunal has continued to respond strongly to the significant increase in appeals. As the volumes of receipts have increased, so has the capacity of the tribunal to deal with them. It is increasing its capacity through the recruitment of additional staff, judicial medical tribunal members as well as a range of business improvements.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Absent Voting

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many postal ballots were issued for elections held on 5 May 2011 in (a) England, (b) Cheshire West and Chester council and (c) City of Chester constituency.

Mark Harper: Returning officers in England have a statutory duty to send to the Electoral Commission a statement which includes the total number of postal ballot papers issued. This must happen in the period between 10 and 15 working days after the close of the poll. I understand that the Commission plans to publish both local and national statistics on the issue of postal ballot packs at the 5 May polls in its report on the administration of the polls, due for publication in October.

Absent Voting

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what grounds returning officers were allowed to disqualify postal ballots at the verification stage; and how many ballot papers were disqualified at the verification stage on each such ground in all elections held on 5 May 2011 in (a) England, (b) Cheshire West and Chester council and (c) City of Chester constituency.

Mark Harper: Returning officers must reject a postal ballot paper if they are not satisfied that a postal voting statement is duly completed. When a statement is selected for verification the returning officer must compare the date of birth and signature on the postal voting statement with those held by the electoral registration officer. The returning officer should reject the postal vote if the records do not match. These measures are important to ensure the integrity of the election process.
	Returning officers in England have a statutory duty to send to the Electoral Commission a statement which includes the total number of postal ballot papers issued and returned. This statement must include the number of ballot papers subject to the verification procedure which have been rejected as not completed, and the number rejected because the personal identifiers do not match. The statement must be returned in the period between 10 and 15 working days after the close of the poll. I understand that the Commission plans to publish both local and national statistics on the issue and return of postal ballot packs at the 5 May polls in its report on the administration of the polls, due for publication in October.

Absent Voting: Fraud

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the incidence of (a) postal and (b) proxy vote fraud in the May 2011 elections;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to reduce the level of electoral fraud; if he will bring forward proposals to restrict postal and proxy votes; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made an estimate of the incidence of postal and proxy vote fraud at the polls held on 5 May 2011. The Electoral Commission in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) collected data on allegations of electoral malpractice reported to the police at those polls and the Commission and ACPO will publish their findings on the data collected in due course.
	The Electoral Commission has led work with police forces, political parties and returning officers to raise awareness of integrity issues and strengthen systems to ensure that fraud is detected and prosecuted and to draw attention to existing good practice. There is evidence of effective working between returning officers and local police at recent elections with the police engaged on election issues and committed to the detection of electoral fraud which is reflected in the findings of the joint report by ACPO and Electoral Commission on the May 2010 elections, “Analysis of cases of alleged electoral malpractice in 2010”. This approach was continued for the polls that took place on 5 May 2011.
	The Government are committed to reducing electoral fraud and have announced that they will legislate to bring individual electoral registration into force in 2014, ahead of the next general election. This will make the electoral register more accurate and secure, and this should give greater protection to the integrity of the voting process at elections.
	The Government will wish to consider carefully the planned reports by the Electoral Commission on the polls on 5 May 2011, and any recommendations made by the Electoral Commission, and will continue to keep procedures under review to ensure that the electoral process is secure.

Elections

David Simpson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average number of disallowed ballot papers was in each electoral area in the May 2011 elections; and what the five most frequent reasons were for disallowing ballots.

Mark Harper: After the declaration of an election result, returning officers are required to produce a statement of the total number of ballot papers which were rejected where:
	(v) the official mark was missing;
	(vi) an individual has voted for more than one candidate;
	(vii) the ballot paper is blank or there is a void for uncertainty;
	(viii) there is anything written on the ballot paper which could identify the voter.
	Information about the number of rejected ballot papers at the recent elections is not yet available. However, the Electoral Commission will undertake an analysis of these statements from each area, which it plans to make available on its website in due course.
	The powers given to returning officers in this respect help to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the final result as well as the secrecy of the ballot. Decisions on individual ballot papers are made at the returning officer's discretion, although their decisions in individual cases are subject to legal challenge.

Elections

David Simpson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he received any reports of suspension of voting at polling stations in the May 2011 local elections.

Mark Harper: The Electoral Commission has received one report of the temporary suspension of voting at a polling place during the local elections which took place on May 5 2011. It was reported that voting was suspended for around 45 minutes at a polling place in Portadown due to the death of a voter. No other reports of suspended voting have been received.

European Court of Human Rights: Prisoner Voting

Chris Kelly: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of not implementing the European Court of Human Rights ruling on prisoner voting.

Mark Harper: As the Attorney-General made clear during the Commons debate on this issue on 10 February, it is very difficult to make an accurate estimate of the cost to the public purse, since we cannot know the number of prisoners that may bring a claim, nor can we be certain exactly how much compensation each prisoner might be awarded.
	However, if the entire UK sentenced population in the prison system (over 70,000 prisoners) were to bring claims, and on the basis that about £1,000 to £1,500 of compensation and costs might have to be paid in each case, clearly the matter has the potential to be very costly.

TREASURY

Building Societies: Regulation

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2011 to the hon. Member for Carlisle, Official Report, column 188W, on building and mutual societies, what progress he has made in his consideration of how to modify building society legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government have consulted on amending the Building Societies Act 1986 to enable societies to grant floating charges to payment and settlement systems. The Treasury is taking this forward as part of the wider reform of financial regulation. The Government are also seeking to achieve an appropriate outcome on capital requirements for mutuals in the capital requirements directive. The Government continue to work closely with building societies and will consider further legislative changes where there is a robust case for making them.

Civil Society Organisations: Taxation

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to enable collaboration between civil society organisations to take place tax efficiently;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to implement in UK law Article 132(1)(f) of the Principal VAT Directive 2006/112/EC to exempt from VAT the supply of shared services between civil society organisations.

David Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Budget that the Government would continue to consult on the options for incorporating the exemption directly into UK legislation.

Corporation Tax: Businesses

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses (a) nationally, (b) in each region, (c) in each local authority and (d) in each parliamentary constituency he expects to be affected by his decision to reduce the main rate of corporation tax to 26% with effect from April 2011.

David Gauke: Around 45,000 companies that pay tax at the main rate, and around 40,000 that are taxed at the main rate but benefit from marginal relief will have lower tax bills as a result of the reductions in the main rate of corporation tax announced in the last two Budgets.
	HMRC does not routinely estimate the number of companies affected or fiscal impact of business tax changes at regional or constituency level.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional pay he plans to provide to officials in (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs in the period from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013 to reflect (i) seniority, (ii) promotion and (iii) performance.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury has yet to open discussions with its trades unions and HM Revenue and Customs is currently in discussions with its trade unions. Neither Department is yet in a position to disclose details of its awards, but awards will be in line with the pay freeze announced in the Government's June 2010 emergency Budget. Neither Department has any plans to make payments based on seniority, or to change its existing rules for pay on promotion.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects compensation to be paid to eligible Equitable Life policyholders.

Mark Hoban: It is intended that £1 billion will be paid out by the scheme over the first three years of the spending review period. First payments will be made by the end of June this year.

Financial Institutions: Directors

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior executives of UK financial institutions in which the Government has a shareholding have been dismissed on grounds of (a) capability and (b) conduct since July 2007.

Mark Hoban: UK Financial Investments (UKFI) manages the Government's shareholding in financial institutions at arm's length and on a commercial basis. UKFI's overarching objective is to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, with due regard to financial stability and acting in a way that promotes competition.
	Details on employee issues are a matter for the individual banks.

Financial Services Authority

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much has been paid (a) in total and (b) to each individual in redundancy or other severance compensation to senior executives and directors of the Financial Services Authority since July 2007;
	(2)  what the monetary value is of fines imposed by the Financial Services Authority on senior executives and directors of UK-based financial institutions for misconduct associated with the financial crisis since July 2007;
	(3)  whether any senior executives of the Financial Services Authority have been dismissed on grounds of (a) capability and (b) conduct since July 2007.

Mark Hoban: This is a matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day-to-day operations are independent of Government. I have asked the FSA to write to the hon. Member on the issue he raises. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

Independent Commission on Banking

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he plans to give to the monetary value of shares held by UK Financial Investments Ltd in his determination on the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking report he plans to adopt.

Mark Hoban: The Independent Commission on Banking’s final report will be delivered to the Government by the end of September 2011. The Government will then decide on the right course of action. The Government do not seek to pre-judge the Commission's final recommendations that are due in September. This includes both the Commission's recommendations and the Government's response.

Public Sector: Pensions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings his Department has had with outside organisations in order to meet its objective that proposed reforms to public sector pensions are sustainable and progressive.

Danny Alexander: The Chancellor announced in the Budget that the Government accept Lord Hutton's recommendations as a basis for consultation with public sector workers, trades unions and others.
	In response to a request from the TUC, the Government have set up a series of formal discussions with unions for work forces represented by member organisations of the TUC. For those work forces not represented in that forum, the relevant Secretary of State will engage with their work force as appropriate.
	This issue is also being discussed in the course of other regular meetings between Ministers and external bodies, and in correspondence. The Government will listen to the views of all interested parties. In addition the Government are conducting a formal consultation on Fair Deal, which ends on 15 June.

Taxation: Bingo

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the bingo industry on the relationship between bingo gross profits tax and overall tax revenues from the bingo sector.

Justine Greening: The Government have received a report commissioned by the Bingo Association on the impact of taxation on the bingo industry. The report discusses the relationship between the rate of bingo duty and tax revenues.

Taxation: Company Cars

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the geographical distribution at (a) regional, (b) county and (c) local authority level of revenue generated from (i) fuel duty, (ii) vehicle excise duty, (iii) value added tax on fuel and (iv) tax charges on company cars and car fuel benefit.

Justine Greening: The Treasury does not have regionalised information on tax receipts from transport taxes. VAT registered traders are not required to record in their VAT return the type of goods or services on which VAT has been collected.